


the field carries on

by GabsHardy



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Agent Vasquez: Eternal Smartass, Alex Danvers IS a Weapon, BAMF Alex Danvers, Canon Divergence - Post 3.11 (Fort Rozz), Canon-Typical Violence, Dubious Science, F/F, Gen, Hand-wavey Science, Major Character Injury, Project Cadmus, Sanvers still split but maybe we can fix that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-19 05:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 68,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13116954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabsHardy/pseuds/GabsHardy
Summary: "Alex, you've been missing for 8 days."When Alex reappears with no idea she's even been gone and no clue what happened in that time, it's up to her sister and her ex-fiancee to help piece it all together.





	1. Chapter 1

Set a year or so from the current timeframe of the show. Title (and opening lyrics) from Brandi Carlile’s The Things I Regret.

Also, today is my birthday and I made this first chapter for you. (That’s how birthdays work, right?) It’s my first foray into Supergirl and first posted writing in almost a year, but I binged the whole series over the course of 4 days recently and Alex and Sanvers stole my soul.

\------------------

_it's hard moving on from things you've done wrong_  
_when they play in your head like an old fashioned song_  
_when you're wearing on your sleeve all the things you regret  
_you can only remember what you want to forget…__

_____ _

_____ _

 

Alex Danvers was well-accustomed to drawing a certain amount of attention when she entered the DEO. She was, after all, the second in command - as well as Supergirl’s sister. She expected looks, waves, people asking for orders; that was all normal.

What she was not accustomed to was the near silence that now enveloped the room. Agents who’d known her for years, staring at her as if they’d seen a ghost. The room so still and quiet, she briefly wondered if something had gotten in and literally frozen the place. Winn was the first to move, spinning back to his workspace and grabbing a headset.

“Supergirl! It’s Alex - she’s here!’’

“Seriously, Winn? I know I’m not normally late, but it’s only 4 minutes after.”

“Alex-” his response was cut off by the distinctive sound of Supergirl landing on the balcony, and a breath later, she had Alex wrapped up in a bone-crushing hug.

“Ok, ok, easy Kara. I’m here. Easy.” The sense of dread that had been lurking in her stomach since she walked in now engulfed her at the sound of Kara crying on her shoulder.

“Alex. You’re here.” Her younger sister repeated the words like a mantra until she finally pulled away, tears still in her eyes, and hurriedly ran her hands through Alex’s hair and down her sides. Checking for injuries, Alex realized. Before she could say anything, a quiet voice from behind clenched her heart even tighter.

“Danvers?” 

“Maggie?” The detective moved closer, eyes searching her much the same way Kara’s hands had just done. Alex looked between them, at the the agents in the room who still seemed frozen, at Winn staring at her slack jawed. At J’onn, coming in on Maggie’s heels and looking at her with awe.

“Ok, can someone please catch me up on what’s happening here?”

“Where have you been?” Maggie whispered.

“At my apartment?” Alex offered, trying to tamp down her annoyance.

“This whole time?” J’onn followed up.

“I mean, since I went to bed last night, yeah.”

“Alex.” The heartache in Kara’s voice drew her focus back to her. “You’ve been missing for 8 days.” 

“Is this a joke?” Alex scoffed. “I think I’d know if I’d been gone for 8 days.” Even as she said it, she knew it was no joke; whatever was going on, it had been very real for Kara.

“I would never joke about that,” the blonde whispered, fresh hurt in her eyes. Alex pulled her in for another hug.

“I know, sweetie. I’m sorry. I just… I don’t understand what’s happening. Why you guys think I’ve been missing, somehow.”

“What’s the last thing you remember? Last night?” Maggie questioned, all business.

“Movie night, at Kara’s. We watched a few rom coms, ate way too much Thai food. I went home around 11 and pretty much went right to bed.”

“And that was on what day of the week?” Maggie continued.

“Tuesday. The 6th.” Maggie glanced at Kara, who nodded in confirmation.

“Ok. And today is…?”

“Presumably, Wednesday the 7th,” Alex replied dryly.

“What’s your phone say, Danvers?” Maggie pressed. With a slight sigh, Alex reached into her pocket and pulled it out.

“I’m sure it’s going to…” she trailed off, staring at the screen. “I don’t… Thursday the 15th? How is that possible?” Alex looked up to find silence and her own uncertainty reflected back from those around her.

“Let’s start with a checkup in medical,” J’onn finally suggested. “Make sure everything’s normal, physically, and then go from there.”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure,” Alex agreed, frightened eyes never leaving Kara’s.

“I’m right there with you. The world would need to be ending again for me to leave your side,” she promised. Alex nodded numbly, gripping her sister’s hand and allowing herself to be led to medical. Vaguely, she registered J’onn ordering everyone to get back to work, and the soothing presence of Maggie at her back. But the only thing she could truly focus on was the reassuring warmth of Kara, and the dizzying question they had to contend with.

How the hell had she lost 8 days?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet to kick things off. Chapter 2 is finished, and is also longer. Aiming for weekly updates here, but could be sooner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are awesome. <3
> 
>  
> 
> Lyrics: The Kongos, Take It From Me

_Took me a minute to clear my head_  
_I tried recalling, but the blanks won't fill_  
_Cameras rolling, but I forgot the film_

 

Half an hour later, Dr. Hamilton had finished checking Alex’s vitals and taking blood samples, and had exited the medbay with a warning that an MRI was being scheduled.

“Oh, goody. My favorite,” Alex grumbled. True to her word, Kara had hovered at her bedside the entire time, while Maggie had pulled up a chair and a tablet in the hallway.

“Do you need anything?” Kara offered for the 3rd time. “I could go and get-”

“Kara. I’m fine.” The blonde visibly deflated, and Alex took a calming breath, knowing she’d let the frustration seep into her response. It wasn’t her sister’s fault this was happening, she reminded herself. “Actually, there is one thing.”

“What is it?” Kara perked up, looking eager. “One of those hot dogs from that place in Chicago? Because I can be back before you even know I’m gone.” Almost immediately, the words registered in Kara’s head and she grimaced. “I mean…”

“It’s fine. And no, not a hot dog. What I really need is for you to get in this bed with me and catch me up on at least some of the sister snuggles we’ve clearly been deprived of.” In the blink of an eye, Kara was wrapped around her again, holding on for dear life.

“So deprived,” she agreed. “But also, I kinda feel like this is more for my benefit than yours.”

“It can be both,” Alex replied easily. “I get it, remember? I’ve been the one waiting when you disappeared without a trace.”

“Yeah, but I went to another Earth because of Barry, so that was different. Hey, maybe that’s what happened to you.”

“If it’s Barry’s fault, you should probably go have a chat with your pal.”

“I’m not completely discounting it, but I didn’t literally mean him. Just, what if you were in another dimension again?”

“I don’t know, Kara. I remember everything from my trips to both Earth 1 and Earth X.”

“The amount of Nazis and Nazi-punching is hard to forget,” Kara offered.

“No doubt. But if I did jump to another world, somehow, why don’t I remember any of it? And how did I get there?”

“I don’t know,” Kara groaned. “Honestly, I kinda hope your blood is weird and gives us some clues.” Alex laughed lightly, resting her head on her sister’s shoulder.

“Thanks, I think.” A comfortable silence settled briefly, until Kara suddenly sat up straight.

“Oh, Rao! Alex, I gotta call Eliza. It’s a miracle we got her to stay in Midvale when she found out you were missing; she’ll never forgive me for not updating her ASAP.”

“Somehow I doubt that. But yes, please, go call her. She doesn’t need to come out here right now though. Promise her I’ll call later, and that we’ll both go for a visit soon.”

“Got it. I’ll be back so fast,” she promised.

“No rush, take your time. But, uh...” Alex’s eyes had drifted to where Maggie still sat outside, and Kara waited patiently. “On your way out, maybe tell Maggie she can come in? You know, just... if she wants to.”

“I’m certain there’s no place she’d rather be.” Kissing her forehead, Kara slipped out the door, pausing in front of the detective. Alex couldn’t tell how the conversation went; for a long moment after Kara left, Maggie continued to sit still, looking at her tablet. Finally, Alex could see her take a breath and stand up.

“Hey, Danvers,” Maggie offered quietly once she stepped into the room

“Maggie.” Alex smiled broadly as the other woman moved in closer. “You doing ok?”

“Me? I’m not the one who was universally absent for a week.”

“Maybe, but you’re one of the ones who had to… deal with it.”

“Yeah,” Maggie allowed softly. “It’s good to see you back in one piece.” Before Alex could reply, Dr. Hamilton was pushing through the door, Kara on her heels.

“All right, Agent Danvers, we’re set for the MRI. Everything looks normal from the tests we’ve already done.”

“So in other words, physiological markers indicate that I’m actually me,” Alex deduced. The doctor gave her a slightly apologetic look, which Alex shrugged off. "It’d be stupid not to make sure of that first, doc.”

“Was anything abnormal? Anything at all?” Kara questioned. Dr. Hamilton glanced at Alex, who gave a brief nod.

“The only thing even slightly noteworthy is a loss of 7 pounds since the last physical.”

“Which was when?” Maggie asked.

“2 weeks ago.”

“That’s not a healthy rate of loss,” Maggie noted with a frown.

“For all we know, it was all in the last 8 days,” Alex pointed out.

“Kinda my concern, yeah.”

“I thought you looked waifish. I’m definitely going to get you hot dogs while you’re in the MRI.”

“Waifish?” Alex repeated. 

“Waifish,” Kara confirmed. “By the way, Eliza’s pretty insistent on coming, so you should definitely call her as soon as you can.”

“Of course she is. Dr. Hamilton, put me out of my misery.”

“I’ll happily put you in the MRI, but I’m not sure it’ll help that.”

“One way to find out. Let’s go.”

An hour or so later, Alex, Kara, Maggie, Dr. Hamilton, and J’onn were all seated in medbay, looking through the various test results while devouring the hot dogs Kara had gone for. 

“Everything is normal. Agent Danvers is in excellent health, all documented scars and past broken bones are present and accounted for. Medically speaking, there is absolutely nothing that concerns me.”

“Your blood is normal,” Kara whispered loudly.

“So I hear,” Alex replied in kind. J’onn raised an eyebrow as he spoke to Hamilton.

“We’re back to square one.”

“So it would seem.”

“We should probably go ahead and jump to square two, then,” Alex said, looking at J’onn meaningfully.

“Are you sure?”

“Quickest way to get answers. Just don’t accidentally wipe me out while you’re looking around in there.” Alex winked as she said this, leading J’onn to roll his eyes.

“Sorry, I think I missed part of this,” Maggie interjected.

“She wants him to use his psychic powers to poke through her mind, see what we can’t see,” Kara explained.

“Is that safe?”

“Safer than it used to be,” Alex offered.

“Safer? That’s reassuring.”

“I didn’t use my powers for a very long time, Detective Sawyer. I was… rusty the first few times I did again. It’s under control now.” Maggie looked uneasy, but didn’t protest any further.

“Finish your lunch first,” Kara insisted around a mouthful of her 4th hot dog.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. Were you raised by wolves?” Alex shot back.

“And wolves on a primitive planet, at that,” Kara agreed cheerfully. Shaking his head, J’onn began picking up the lunch trash, keeping an ear on the sisterly banter they’d all missed. Alex stood from the table, tossing her wrapper to the trash and facing him.

“All right, let’s find out what the hell is going on.” With Dr. Hamilton lingering at the door, and Kara and Maggie subconsciously gripping each other’s hands, Alex closed her eyes as J’onn rested his fingers on her forehead. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a burst of energy surged from the spot where they touched, throwing both of them back. Alex crashed into the window behind her with enough force to splinter the glass, while J’onn hit the wall across the room and slid bonelessly to the floor.

“Holy shit,” Maggie breathed. She and Kara rushed to Alex, who was at least still moving. She sat up slowly, dazed, wiping at the trickle of blood from her nose and staring at J’onn’s unmoving form. 

“Alex?” Kara questioned softly. Alex’s eyes darted between the women on either side.

“How the hell did I do that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daaamn, Danvers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments thus far! This has been one of the most welcoming and receptive fandoms I've jumped into in years; receiving and responding to comments and messages has been a delight.
> 
>  
> 
> Lyrics: Brandi Carlile, Alibi

_Somewhere in my life_  
_I took the wrong direction_  
_I swear on my soul I didn't want to hurt no one_

__________

“Ma’am.” The sharp tone drew everyone’s attention to the door, where Vasquez stood, hand on the pistol holstered at her side. Her eyes shifted from Alex to J’onn before an even deeper frown settled. 

“Is he…?” Alex couldn’t finish the sentence, staring pleadingly at Dr. Hamilton.

“He’s starting to come around,” Hamilton replied tersely, focused on her new patient.

“Ma’am,” Vasquez repeated. “Step out of the room, please.” At this, Kara stood, whirling to face the agent.

“Are you serious?”

“Extremely.”

“You’re being unreasonable. Alex is-”

“Going to step out of the room,” the elder Danvers cut in. 

“But it was… it wasn’t on purpose!”

“I don’t think anyone in this room doubts that, Kara. But it happened. The first priority is making sure he’s ok.” With a short nod to Vasquez, Alex stepped into the hall, closely followed by Kara and Maggie.

“Thank you ma’am,” Vasquez offered as the door shut behind them.

“Kara, we should just be grateful I’m not in a cell right now,” Alex said firmly, easily reading the lingering irritation on her sister’s face.

“What? How can you even say that?”

“Accidental or otherwise, I did just attack the Director of the DEO.”

“It was a defensive reaction,” Kara protested.

“A defensive reaction that I’ve never been capable of before.”

“Are you hurt?” Maggie, who had been silent through the ordeal, spoke up suddenly. Alex blinked in confusion before remembering hitting the wall.

“No, I’m fine.” Maggie raised a dubious eyebrow.

“Good. Sit down and let me check.” When Maggie and Kara both turned their most protective glares on her, Alex gave up arguing and settled into a chair. She tried to ignore the way her heart fluttered at the familiar feeling of Maggie’s fingers in her hair, touch soft and careful. After a moment, Kara’s hand drifted down to squeeze her own.

Of course her sister wouldn’t be able to block out her heart the way that Alex herself could.

“No bleeding, nothing seems broken,” Maggie concluded. She pulled her hands away and Alex allowed herself to mourn the loss. “Headache?”

“Not yet, but it’ll come,” Alex sighed. She glanced at the room J’onn was still in before squaring her shoulders decisively. “All right, I want to see everything you've got.”

“Of course!” Kara immediately agreed. “Um… by which you mean what, exactly?”

“Everything we've dug into over the last week,” Maggie explained.

“Everything on the mysterious case of Alex Danvers,” Alex added, with a slight eyeroll for good measure.

“But first, coffee,” Maggie decided. “I'll go get some. Meet you in your office?” Alex gave a brief nod, watching thoughtfully as the detective marched down the hall. Yet again, her focus didn't go unnoticed by her sister.

“She's been here the whole time, you know,” Kara offered softly. “At least, the whole time since she found out you were… missing. And Rao, did she tear me a new one for not calling her immediately.”

“Really?” Alex asked, not entirely sure which part she was seeking assurance on. Fortunately, Kara understood her as always. She hooked an elbow through her sister's arm and started leading her towards the office as she chose her words.

“Yeah. The DEO kept it quiet, of course, but J’onn wanted to check in with NCPD to see if they'd heard anything. He didn't give them your name or any details, just asked a few questions. That was about 32 hours in. Maggie showed up here less than an hour later. She pieced it together - no Supergirl sightings, J’onn calling them, she knew what that meant. Since she stormed in here, she's only left to chase down possible leads, shower, and change. She’s even been sleeping here.” Alex chewed on her lip as she unlocked her office. Kara flopped down on the couch, trying to be patient and give her time to sort through it, but it wasn't long before she picked up Maggie's heartbeat and an accompanying tray of coffee.

“She's almost back, and I know you don't want her to walk into the middle of this. So let's just flip the script for a moment, Alex. Imagine Maggie's mysteriously vanished and no one can figure out anything. What are you doing?”

“Trying to find her,” Alex responded with no hesitation.

“Exactly. And clearly, she had to think about it just as long as you did before she jumped into action. Just because you two aren't… you two, anymore, doesn't mean-” Kara cut herself off abruptly as the door opened. Maggie stepped in, eyes narrowing as she took in the atmosphere.

“There's a Danvers sister thing happening here, isn't there? I can wait outside.”

“No!” Alex and Kara called in unison.

“We just didn't want to start without you. Or coffee,” Alex clarified.

“Smooth, Danvers.” Shaking her head, Maggie handed out coffees and took a seat across from Alex.

“All right. What do we have?” Alex asked.

“Honestly? Not much. By which I mean, pretty much nothing.”

“It's why I was just flying around the city this morning. Had nothing better to go on,” Kara added.

“Your apartment gave us nothing. No forced entry, no signs of struggle, nothing missing.”

“Other than you,” Kara grumbled.

“We checked the cameras in your lobby, the bank down the street, and the pharmacy around the corner,” Maggie continued as if Kara hadn't said anything. “We both watched from the time you got home the night before to the time Kara went looking for you around lunch the next day. Nothing suspicious, no sign of you after you went upstairs that night.”

“Thai leftovers are still in your fridge. Might wanna throw them out,” Kara suggested.

“Your cell phone pinged in your apartment, but wasn't actually there, at least that we could find. No activity on your credit card or checking account.”

“Universally absent,” Kara concluded. Alex leaned back in her chair, simply absorbing everything for a moment.

“Well… shit,” she finally sighed.

“Yeah, that about sums it up. Like I said, basically nothing.”

“I don't even know where to go from here,” Alex admitted. “Something is very obviously not right, but we have no real way of figuring it out.”

“Hey, excuse you. This whole thing blows and there's no denying that, but it's way too early to sound defeated. Stronger together, remember? We're together now, all of us, and we're going to make this right.”

“Make this right,” Alex echoed absently, staring at the ceiling. She sensed, more than saw, the other two women exchanging an uneasy look, and quickly realized they were both looking to her for guidance on what to do next. She didn’t have the heart to tell them that no, she really had no clue, so she wracked her brain for something to suggest. “Let’s go back to school here and try a good old-fashioned brainstorm.”

“What… exactly… are we storming?” Kara questioned.

“Broadly? Anything that could explain where the hell I’ve been.” She pulled out a notepad and a marker, and looked at each of them in turn.

“Well, we’ve mentioned parallel universe. Maybe alien abduction?” Kara offered.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Alex sighed, writing both down.

“I don’t suppose you went on an 8 day bender,” Maggie followed up.

“I can almost guarantee I didn’t, but in the spirit of a true brainstorming session and having no real certainty, I’ll add it to the list.” They carried on until a knock at the door interrupted Kara’s musings on the possibility of time travel. When J’onn poked his head in, Alex was out of her seat and coming around her desk before he had the door fully open.

“You pack quite a punch these days, Agent Danvers,” he observed. Alex flinched.

“J’onn, I am so sorry. I don’t even know exactly what for, because I don’t know what actually happened, but you were trying to help me and instead-”

“Alex. It’s ok.” He closed the distance, gently gripping her shoulders and searching her eyes intently. “Whatever else it was, it wasn’t your fault.”

“But-”

“No. I won’t hear any more apologies about it. I’ll just steer clear of your brain until we get this all figured out.”

“How are you feeling?” Kara asked.

“Completely fine. I was out for just a few moments, and by the time I came back to my senses, Vasquez had cleared the room and was standing guard.”

“Just doing her job,” Alex reminded him.

“And I appreciate that.” J’onn’s eyes fell on their list, and he scanned it briefly. “Do you really think Bigfoot is a possible explanation?”

“Well, no. But brainstorming is supposed to be about throwing every crazy idea out without criticism, so there you have it.”

“Maybe it’s time to take a step back from this,” J’onn suggested. “Get caught up on other things that have been ongoing, give your brain a break. See if anything comes of that.”

“Our brainstorming did end with Bigfoot, so maybe that’s not a bad idea,” Alex agreed.

“Bigfoot is totally viable,” Kara huffed as she stood up. Alex didn’t miss the formation they fell into as they headed out of her office and to the command center: J’onn in front, and Kara and Maggie flanking her. She found herself fighting back a smile. The good feeling faded as the numerous screens came into view, reminding her of the kind of work they still had to do; one screen in particular caught her eye.

“Have we not made any progress on that Ismenian weapons smuggler?” she frowned.

“Well, I had my best agent in charge of that one, but she hasn’t seen fit to come to work for the last week. Progress has been slow.”

“Very funny. Sir.” With a small smile, J’onn moved away, leaving Alex and her shadows to get caught up.

“Weapons smuggler?’ Maggie questioned.

“He’s using an off-world portal to bring alien weapons in and put them up for sale. He’s slick. We’ve busted a couple distribution centers, but only came up with empty boxes and his grunts, and they’re not talking. Been after him for a month, I’m just surprised it doesn’t look like we got anywhere else with it while I was… out.”

“Let me know if you need me to ask around,” Maggie offered, eliciting a genuine smile.

“Thanks, I will.” Alex moved away, scanning other screens and getting updates from agents on the ops she wasn’t familiar with. Kara and Maggie hung back, watching her interactions and observing those around her. Eventually, J’onn and Alex both made their way back over.

“Why don’t you all call it a day?” J’onn suggested.

“It’s not even 4:00,” Alex protested.

“I am aware. I’m also aware it may be more beneficial for each of you to have some time away,” he replied pointedly. Alex glanced over, immediately catching the hopeful look on her sister’s face, and any other argument faded.

“Yeah, all right. But I’m back first thing in the morning, and if you turn up anything related to this case, you call me right away.”

“Yes ma’am, will there be anything else?”

“It’s really too bad that jolt didn’t fix your sense of humor,” Alex groused.

“Ah, already joking about it? That’s a good sign.” With a smirk, J’onn walked towards his office, leaving Alex shaking her head.

“Dinner and sleepover at my place?” Kara suggested as the three of them walked out.

“How about mine?” Alex countered, picking up on the underlying need for togetherness. When Kara didn’t respond immediately, choosing instead to pick aimlessly at the hem of her shirt, Alex shot her a searching look.

“It’s just… you know…”

“I don’t, actually. I do know I’ve apparently got week old Thai food in my fridge and probably other things to deal with that I didn’t pay attention to this morning.”

“What’s one more day?” Kara still wasn’t making eye contact; Alex felt the headache she’d been anticipating since the incident in medical beginning to take shape.

“Kara, what’s the big deal?”

“Alex,” Maggie cut in quietly. “Whatever the hell happened? It happened there.”

“Shit.” Alex scrubbed a hand down her face, feeling guilty - and maybe a bit stupid - for not realizing that herself. “I’m sorry, Kara. I didn’t think of that. I guess it still isn’t real to me in the way it is to you two. But I also can’t hide from my own home. If I avoid it tonight, who knows how long before I feel safe there again? Besides, if it happened there, that may be the best place for me to look for answers.”

“And I’ll be there,” Kara added quietly.

“And you’ll be there. You can be there every night until we figure it out, if you want to.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Ok then. I’m gonna go by CatCo and check in, go grab things from my place, pick up food and a movie, and I’ll be there by 6.”

“I’ll try not to disappear in the meantime,” Alex joked, instantly regretting it as Kara flinched. “Sorry. Too soon.”

“Too soon,” Kara agreed, scowling. “However, I don’t want to leave on an angry note, so while I want you to know I’m not happy with that comment, I’m still gonna hug you for a ridiculously long time before I go.”

When Kara finally released her and left, Alex turned to Maggie, who’d been patiently waiting.

“Thank you. For everything.”

“No thanks needed. You’d do the same for me.”

“Absolutely, but I still want to say thank you. And also, if you want-” she was interrupted by the harsh ringing of Maggie’s cell phone, and Alex could see the frustration as the other woman fished the device out.

“Sawyer,” she snapped in greeting, before listening silently for a moment. “You realize I’m still technically off? Of course. Yeah, fine, I’ll be there in 20.”

“Duty calls,” Alex surmised.

“Something like that,” Maggie grumbled. “Sorry. I’ll catch you later, Danvers?” Alex simply nodded in response, watching as she walked away. She had the feeling Kara wouldn’t have left if she hadn’t expected Maggie to stay, but Alex was both an adult and a DEO agent; she didn’t need a chaperone from work. She was just approaching her motorcycle when a voice stopped her.

“Ma’am.”

“Vasquez?”

“I’ve been instructed to see to it that you make it home safely.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Director’s orders,” Vasquez responded, pointing at a security camera and failing in her effort not to grin.

“Politely tell the director he’s being overprotective.”

“I’ll convey the message, but the order stands, and I quote, ‘regardless of what her stubborn ass says otherwise.’” Alex turned, staring intently at the camera; she could almost see J’onn on the other side, smirking at her.

“Fine, but I’m going under duress. No offense, Susan.”

“None taken. I hope you realize you’re riding with me in the SUV.” Alex let out an undignified groan.

“If anything happens to my bike, I’m holding J’onn personally responsible,” Alex grumbled as she got in, knowing full well it would be safe there. Vasquez just smiled knowingly.

“Noted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knoooow, not a ton of Maggie in this one. She's lurking, being awesome and giving Alex and Kara some space. She'll get some of her own time in the next, I promise. Storywise, I know it's a slow build, but I also know where we're going with it.
> 
> That said, next one may not be up on Saturday. I'm leaving at 0700 for a weeklong conference; my laptop is going with me but it's a pretty packed schedule. If not, I'll aim for Monday at the latest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my conference and ready to roll! I didn't think there'd be so much talking in this one, but they all had a lot of Feelings and I let them run with it.
> 
>  
> 
> Lyrics: Florence and the Machine, Breaking Down

_I can see it coming from the edge of the room_  
_Creeping in the streetlight_  
_Holding my hand in the pale gloom  
_ _Can you see it coming now?_

 

\---------------

 

Later that evening, a knock at the door had Alex frowning at the clock. She still had a good 30 minutes until Kara was supposed to arrive. She shrugged, returning her focus to cleaning out her fridge.

 

“It’s open, Kara,” she called, wrinkling her nose as she moved to dump her spoiled milk down the kitchen sink.

 

“Seriously, Danvers?” Maggie didn’t even try to hide the irritation in her voice, and Alex looked up in surprise.

 

“Maggie, hey!”

 

“No, don’t you ‘hey’ me. You left your door unlocked and just broadcast that to someone without checking to see who it was? After everything?”

 

“I knew Kara was coming.”

 

“But I’m not Kara, that’s kinda my point! And doesn’t she normally come to the window anyway? Why wouldn’t you at least see who was here?”

 

“Did you just come by to lecture me? Because if so-” Maggie held her hands up, cutting Alex off.

 

“No! No I didn’t. I’m sorry. Not entirely sorry, because my point stands, but consider point made. Moving on. I promise.” Alex narrowed her eyes, but nodded slightly, and Maggie closed the door and moved into the kitchen.

 

“Kara was not wrong about my fridge. I almost think it’d be easier to just have her fly the whole thing to a dump and then replace it,” Alex said wryly, moving to a safer topic. “Beer?”

 

“Depends. How long has it been in that petri dish of a fridge?”

 

“About an hour.”

 

“Vasquez let you make a beer stop? I’m impressed,” Maggie teased.

 

“I wondered if she was still out front.”

 

“She only left when I told her I wouldn’t go anywhere until Kara got here.”

 

“I am trying really hard not to be annoyed with all of you right now, and only because I understand how much the situation worried everyone. But this babysitting crap isn’t going to fly long,” Alex warned, pointing with her own beer to emphasize.

 

“That’s the thing, though. I’m not sure you do get it, not exactly. I know, I know, you’ve had to wait for Kara to come back from places you couldn’t get to before, but all of those, you at least knew where she was. We had no clue where you were, if you were alive - nothing. Worried doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

 

“Maggie…”

 

“This isn’t a lecture, Alex, I just want you to understand where we’re coming from. In some ways, this was worse than when Malverne took you. Then, we were able to see you were alive and communicate with you a few times. Of course, we also saw what was happening, and that… that sucked, to say the least. But with this, everything was left to our imaginations. With all the things we’ve seen between us, I can promise you we weren’t imagining you’d just walk back in and be perfectly fine.”

 

“I hadn’t even thought about it in context of the Malverne thing,” Alex admitted, eyes wide. “You and Kara and J’onn have all been through this.”

 

“Yeah. And that one came too close to ending badly, in a shorter period of time. I don’t know about Kara and J’onn, but this time there was a timer running down in my head, one that felt like it could run out with no warning at any moment.” Maggie stared down at her bottle, absently picking at the label and avoiding eye contact. Alex just watched her for a moment, letting her words sink in. When the other woman still didn’t look up, Alex made a decision, setting her own beer down and moving around the kitchen island.

 

“Can I please give you a hug?” she requested quietly, staying back and giving Maggie space to decide.

 

“I think I’d like that,” Maggie whispered, finally lifting her head. Alex smiled slightly before closing the distance and wrapping her arms around the detective, who’d turned in her chair to face her. After a moment, Alex heard the hitch in Maggie’s breathing and instinctively tightened her arms.

 

“I’m sorry,” she murmured into Maggie’s hair. The only response was a sniffle as Maggie tried to settle herself, her face still pressed to Alex’s side.

 

“Not your fault. Probably,” Maggie eventually offered, voice shaky. Alex laughed quietly, giving one last gentle squeeze before pulling away and reaching for her beer. She moved back to the other side of the counter, allowing Maggie space to collect herself. Before the conversation could continue - if in fact Maggie even intended it to - a soft thud at the window alerted them to Kara’s arrival.

 

“Told you she wouldn’t even come to the door,” Maggie muttered, leading Alex to roll her eyes.

 

“I come bearing ice cream, burritos, tacos, chips, queso and guacamole!” Kara proclaimed as she stepped inside. “And our fine film selections include Girls Trip, Ghostbusters, and Legally Blonde.”

 

“Girl power. I like it,” Alex smiled, watching as her sister began to set out the dinner spread. She tilted her head as she saw Maggie reaching for her jacket. “Where are you going?”

 

“I’m not trying to intrude on sister night. I know how important that is.”

 

“Right, but this isn’t official sister night,” Kara interrupted. “This is dinner and movies and celebrating Alex not being MIA anymore. You’re totally part of that.”

 

“If you want to be,” Alex rushed to add. “We’d love it if you stayed, but if you don’t want to or have plans or whatever…”

 

“Danvers, I pretty much cleared my entire calendar about a week ago. I definitely don’t have plans. And you know I love both Ghostbusters and burritos.”

 

“Great! So it’s settled. Take that jacket back off and make yourself comfortable,” Kara ordered, looking pleased. When Alex moved to help with setting up dinner, Kara leaned in close. “Everything ok? It felt… tense in here for a bit.”

 

“I figured you were paying attention.”

 

“Not listening in, just your heartbeat,” Kara promised. “Which, by the way, I’m gonna be doing a lot. Like, more than usual a lot.”

 

“I assumed as much. And yes, everything’s all right. We had a good talk, she pointed out some things I hadn’t thought of.” Alex knew she and Kara should talk about some of those issues and parallels as well, but she didn’t want to bring down the good mood that had entered the space alongside her sister. “I think it ended on a good note, and I’m glad she’s staying.”

 

“Me too. In part because I got some vegan tacos too and I don’t want to have to eat those myself.” Kara pulled a face as Maggie joined them.

 

“You did? Have I told you you’re my favorite superhero?” Kara preened before loading up her first plate.

 

“Don’t say things like that. It’ll go to her head,” Alex admonished.

 

“Are you saying I’m not your favorite superhero?”

 

“Oh, I’d say Supergirl is firmly in my top 7.”

 

“Top 7? Alex!” Frowning, Kara threw a chip at her sister.

 

“See, I’m just saying, Green Arrow would never do that.”

 

“Of course not,” Kara grumbled. “He’d be too busy brooding. Wait - are you implying he’s above me in your rankings?”

 

“No, just making an observation.”

 

“I am so wounded right now. That hurt worse than a kryptonite bullet.”

 

“The really impressive thing here,” Maggie observed, “is that you even manage to make eating 3 tacos at once look sad, somehow.”

 

“It’s all in the eyes,” Kara confided in a low voice. “Also, hand me a burrito, would you?”

 

“If you two are done conspiring, we can start the movie now,” Alex said, leaning over to grab more guacamole.

 

“It’s hardly conspiring. Sharing tips, I think. But yes, let’s start.” Kara hit play, then settled back and shot her sister a sideways glare. “7th favorite… what if I said you’re my 7th favorite DEO agent?”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

“No, you’re not,” Kara sighed. Alex laughed lightly, contentedly leaning against her sister as they finally focused on the movie. With Kara on one side and Maggie on the other, she found it easy to ignore the mystery they were all facing, at least for a little while. A few hours and two movies later, she was nudged awake by a gentle elbow from Kara.

 

“Hey, let’s get you into bed, ok?” Alex blinked, surprised to find that the table had been cleaned up and everything put away. She stretched slowly and looked at Maggie, who was in the kitchen.

 

“You wanna stay? The couch is pretty comfy, you know.” Maggie looked torn.

 

“I should probably go. I didn’t bring clothes or anything…” Even as she said it, Alex got the sense it was only because she thought it was the right thing to say, whether she wanted to or not.

 

“I keep extra toothbrushes, and you can borrow something to sleep in. I’m not trying to be pushy, I just think I know what I’d like if the roles had been reversed,” she said softly. Maggie offered up a small smile.

 

“It would be nice to wake up and be able to see that today wasn’t some kind of stress dream,” she admitted.

 

“Great, I’ll grab a change of clothes!” Not long after, Maggie was settled on the couch with a pair of blankets, and Alex had Kara wrapped around her in bed.

 

“I missed you,” Kara whispered.

 

“I know. I’m sorry.”

 

“We’re gonna figure this out.”

 

“I know that too. Not a doubt about it,” Alex promised. Kara snuggled in impossibly closer, and Alex smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

 

A few hours later - or, at least, Alex thought it was a few hours, but really couldn’t say for certain - she was awakened by Kara frantically, but carefully, shaking her shoulders.

 

“C’mon, wake up! There you are. Are you ok?” Alex blinked in confusion, trying to parse out both Kara’s words and the numbing chill of dread that was inexplicably seeping up her spine.

 

“What?” she managed dumbly.

 

“You were having a nightmare. Do you remember anything?” Alex sat up, rubbing her face. Kara was right, she suddenly knew that with certainty, but any details escaped her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember. The dread had settled heavily at the base of her skull, and her shoulders hunched in response. Her eyes flew open in realization.

 

“It was about… what happened. I can’t explain how I know that, because I don’t remember any of it. But it was that. I’m sure of it.”

 

“I believe you,” Kara swore quietly. “Nothing at all?”

 

“Just… fear. I was scared.” Alex stared at the foot of the bed, one hand absently rubbing the back of her neck, as if trying to physically dislodge the sense of dread.

 

“Oh, Alex.” Telegraphing her movements, Kara shifted closer and pulled her into a gentle hug. They stayed like that until Alex felt herself finally relaxing into her arms. Only then did Kara speak again. “It’s barely 2 AM. You should get some more sleep.”

 

“I’m not sure I want to,” Alex admitted softly.

 

“I know, but you need to. I’ll pay more attention and wake you up sooner if it happens again.”

 

“You need rest too,” Alex pointed out.

 

“Sure, but not as much as a human. And I’m not just going to lie here and stare at you while you sleep. That’s a bit creepy, even for us. I’ll rest, but I can do that and still stay attuned to you.”

 

“Was it bad?”

 

“I’m surprised you didn’t wake up screaming, honestly. There was a lot of thrashing around. It was like you were trying to fight but couldn’t really move. The look on your face was the worst.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Alex sighed.

 

“Stop apologizing. None of this is your fault. We’re gonna figure this out, and we’re both gonna punch a few people and feel better.”

 

“I wish I had your optimism.” Alex finally shifted back down in bed, Kara easily going with her.

 

“I can have enough for both of us.”

 

“You’re the best.” Alex took a moment to just draw comfort from her sister’s presence until something else occurred to her. “Did I wake Maggie?”

 

“Yeah. She stayed out there though. She’s asleep again.”

 

“Good.” Alex pressed her nose to Kara’s shoulder, breathing in and trying to relax. Her mind wouldn’t stop trying to prod at the dark places she still couldn’t get to, and her shoulders began to ache with the tension. Kara, of course, picked up on it. One hand started drifting softly through Alex’s hair, the other gently gripping one of her hands.

 

“Sleep, Alex. I’m here. She’s here. We’ve got you.”

 

“Kara?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You know you really are my favorite, right?” Alex whispered sleepily.

 

“I know. You know you’re my favorite too?”

 

“I know,” Alex breathed, allowing the words and Kara’s soothing hands to displace the dread, at least long enough to drift back to sleep.

 

It still wasn’t enough to shake the feeling that something was coming, both in her dreams and in their world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun.
> 
> We've got a little less talk and a lot more action comin' up next.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Near the end of this one is the seed that started this whole thing. I couldn't get it out of my head until I figured out how to use it, and I'm excited/relieved to finally have it out.
> 
> Buckle up!
> 
> Lyrics: Florence and the Machine, Never Let Me Go

  
_And it's peaceful in the deep_  
_Cathedral where you cannot breathe_  
_No need to pray, no need to speak_  
_Now I am under all_

\----------------

Alex shook herself awake, blinking in confusion against the bright light streaming through the window. She scrambled for her phone, blearily trying to make sense of the date and time.

 

“It’s today. The right today,” came a soft voice from the doorway. She looked over to see Kara studying her.

 

“Thank God,” Alex sighed, rubbing sleep from her eyes and appreciating how well her sister knew her. “But wait, what time is it?”

 

“Umm… so listen…”

 

“Kara! It’s almost 9:30!” Alex dropped her phone and threw the blankets back, scrambling out of bed.

 

“Slow down! It’s fine. I already sent J’onn a text. I didn’t give him details, just that it was a rough night and we’d all be in late.”

 

“All?” Alex repeated, eyes darting to the part of her couch that was visible.

 

“She left about 20 minutes ago. Heading to her place to change and then meet us at the DEO,” Kara supplied.

 

“That doesn’t explain why my alarm didn’t go off 3 hours ago.”

 

“I turned it off.”

 

“Kara….” Alex started, a warning creeping into her tone.

 

“Alex, you barely slept last night and sorry to tell you, but it shows. I don’t think you made it a full 2 hours straight until this last stretch. You needed it.”

 

“I need answers!” Alex tried to inject some annoyance into her voice, but Kara was right. The indistinct nightmares had come as if on schedule, and the constant disruptions in her sleep had left her feeling something akin to a hangover.

 

“You think we don’t?” Kara shot back. “We didn’t get anywhere without you, Alex. We need that beautiful brain of yours functioning.” Sighing, Alex flopped back onto the bed in defeat.

 

“This took on a whole new level of suck.”

 

“Yeah. Nightmares all the same?”

 

“If by all the same, you mean no clear details but a pervasive sense of fear, then yes.”

 

“Oh. Well, yeah, that’s what I meant, so…” Kara trailed off awkwardly, and Alex couldn’t help chuckling.

 

“I need a shower and coffee for this brain to function,” she declared, holding out a hand for Kara to help her up. Her sister obliged with a smile, pulling her in for a quick hug before letting go.

 

“I can make some while you shower?” she offered.

 

“Or I can shower quick and we can stop for lattes on the way, grab one for Maggie too.”

 

“Get moving! I’ll tell J’onn we’re on the way.”

 

Not 10 minutes later, Alex entered the kitchen, dressed and toweling her short hair.

 

“Which way do you want to go?” Kara asked, and something in the words stopped Alex short. “Fly or drive? Oh, I guess driving makes more sense if we’re stopping for coffee.” When Alex still didn’t respond, Kara turned to face her. “Earth to Alex.”

 

“There was someone else there,” Alex frowned, searching her memory.

 

“Uh, in the bathroom?” Kara craned her neck, trying to see into the other room.

 

“What?” Alex finally snapped back, tilting her head at the question. “No, of course not. Why would… never mind. No, last night. The dreams. There was someone else in the last few.” Kara’s eyes brightened in understanding.

 

“Any idea who?”

 

“I don’t think I know him. I can’t recall his face now, but it was definitely a man. Dark suit, dark hair.” Her frown deepened. “That’s such a generic, bad guy movie character look, maybe it was just my brain trying to make things make sense.”

 

“Do you really think that’s the case?” Kara asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“No,” Alex sighed. “I think he’s real. I just don’t want to sound crazy, like some kind of conspiracy theorist making connections and seeing things that aren’t really there.”

 

“You can tell me anything that you want to regarding this, Alex, and I will never think you’re crazy,” Kara promised gently.

 

“Never? What if I started claiming pink dancing elephants and chemtrails were part of it?” Alex joked.

 

“Well, then I might deliver you to the DEO shrink myself,” Kara responded in the same gentle voice. “But I would do it with love.” She punctuated her teasing with a dramatic wink, and Alex laughed, soaking in the moment.

 

“Thanks, Kara.”

 

“You’re my sister. And my favorite. No thanks needed.”

 

“Well, you know what is needed?”

 

“Coffee?”

 

“Coffee,” Alex agreed, grabbing her gun and keys. Kara held out her elbow; Alex linked their arms together and led the way out.

 

When they reached the DEO, neither was surprised to find Maggie already there, chatting with Winn and Vasquez. Her eyes lit up as Alex handed her a vanilla soy latte.

 

“You’re the best,” Maggie sighed after her first sip. “Both of you,” she added hastily, eyes darting away from Alex.

 

“Thought it might be needed,” Kara offered with a smile as Alex moved to Winn’s desk, eyes rapidly scanning the various screens on the wall.

 

“Nothing interesting happening anywhere?”

 

“Nothing so far,” Vasquez confirmed. “And if I may, ma’am? It’s good to see you two days in a row.” Alex rolled her eyes at the other woman’s slight smirk.

 

“I’m sure it is.” Shaking her head, Alex turned to find J’onn watching her patiently from the hall. She gave him a nod of acknowledgement before moving to rejoin Kara and Maggie.

 

“I get the feeling J’onn wants to talk. Once that’s done, I’ll be heading to my lab.”

 

“I’m gonna head to CatCo, at least for a while. Lena and James have been great about my absence, but I’ve got some stuff to catch up on. I’ll try to be back by lunch, but if something comes up, call me. That’s an order.”

 

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” Kara grumbled at the sarcasm before downing the rest of her coffee and taking off. Alex glanced at Maggie.

 

“So, that reminds me, don’t you have an actual job you should maybe go to?”

 

“I don’t know if you know this, Danvers, but I have a literal ton of PTO days piled up. I’m using as many as I need to for us to get this figured out.”

 

“You’ve been working my case on your vacation time?”

 

“It’s not like I was gonna use it for an actual vacation,” Maggie shrugged. “But even if I didn’t have paid days available, I would’ve been here regardless.” Alex wished the conversation was happening somewhere more private; Winn and Vasquez weren’t even trying to hide how much they were listening in. Not that the other agents nearby were doing much better.

 

“I appreciate that,” was all she said, hoping Maggie still knew her well enough to read her eyes screaming what her words couldn’t.

 

“Anytime. I guess I’ll see you in your lab soon?”

 

“Of course.” With a brisk nod, Alex turned and marched towards J’onn’s office. When she walked in, she found him leaning against his desk, obviously waiting for her.

 

“You want to tell me about it?” he asked without hesitation. Alex often appreciated his directness, but in this instance she wasn’t so sure.

 

“At least this time you can’t threaten to read my mind if I don’t,” she joked. J’onn smiled slightly, but otherwise didn’t respond. Alex groaned, dropping into a chair. “Fine. Which part?”

 

“Kara said you’d both be late because of a rough night,” he prompted.

 

“I told her that wasn’t necessary,” Alex started.

 

“I think it was,” J’onn cut in. “I’m not concerned with you being late. Frankly, I would be pushing you to take more time if I thought there was even a slight chance you’d do it.” With a wry smile, Alex finally gave him the short version and what she could recall of the nightmares. He listened intently, not speaking until she seemed to be done.

 

“I hate to say it, Alex, but this may be the best way to start getting answers.”

 

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Alex sighed. “But how long is it going to take to get a clear picture that way?”

 

“It takes as long as it takes,” J’onn replied.

 

“Wow, that was so insightful. Have you ever considered being a motivational speaker?” she jabbed.

 

“I have not,” he responded glibly.

 

“Probably a good plan. I’ll be in my lab if you come up with anymore bits of wisdom.”

 

Alex entered her lab to find Maggie hunched over a table, studying a file. From the door, Alex could see a grainy security camera image of herself in what she knew she’d worn to Kara’s place the night of her disappearance.

 

“I’m guessing you’ve been through that enough that you know it all like the back of your hand.”

 

“Maybe, but I can’t help feeling like we must have missed something.”

 

“I think we’re all missing something, I’m just not so sure it’s hidden in there.” At this, Maggie finally looked up.

 

“If you have other ideas, I’m all ears.”

 

“I don’t,” Alex admitted. “And I’m not trying to discourage you. I know you’re a good cop; do whatever you think is right. I just don’t want you beating yourself up over it.”

 

“I’ll do my best. On both fronts.”

 

“Fair enough.” Alex unlocked her computer, scrolling through the sea of emails until she found one from Dr. Hamilton.

 

“What’s your angle?” Maggie asked.

 

“Going to review all the tests from medical, see if anything jumps out at me.” They worked in companionable silence until the ringing of Alex’s desk phone startled both women.

 

“Danvers.”

 

“Come up to command. You’re gonna want to see this,” Vasquez said sharply.

 

“On my way.” Dropping the phone, she nodded in response to Maggie’s questioning look, leading the way back to central command. J’onn met them on the way.

 

“It’s not you. It’s your other case,” he said quietly.

 

“The Ismenian smuggler?”

 

“That’s the one.” Alex frowned, but kept quiet; something was nagging at the back of her head, but she couldn’t put words to it quite yet.

 

“He’s making a move,” Vasquez said as they entered the room, pointing to the central screen.

 

“In broad daylight?” Alex asked in disbelief. “Everything else we’ve traced to him has been under cover of darkness.”

 

“Maybe it’s a new tactic. Or something time-sensitive,” Vasquez shrugged, not looking happy with her own answer.

 

“Where are they right now?” Winn quickly pulled up coordinates and a map. “Get Supergirl on the line. I want eyes on this until we decide what our plan is.”

 

“Alex?”

 

“This doesn’t strike you as odd, J’onn?” He folded his arms, studying her.

 

“What are you thinking?”

 

“I don’t know, exactly. But we’ve been after this guy for over a month and keep coming up empty. I go missing, reappear, and suddenly the very next day, this guy is throwing his whole playbook out and doing something all but guaranteed to catch our attention?”

 

“You think it’s a trap.”

 

“I think I’d rather assume it is and be wrong, than to hope it isn’t.” J’onn rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

 

“Your case, your lead.” Alex nodded and turned to face the room.

 

“Winn, did you get Supergirl?”

 

“She’s on her way as we speak.”

 

“Good. Can you reach out to some of your contacts and see what they know about Ismenians?”

 

“On it.”

 

“I can make some calls too,” Maggie offered.

 

“That’d be great,” Alex replied appreciatively. When Maggie had stepped away, Alex turned back to J’onn. “What’s her field status?”

 

“Technically rescinded. You know outside agencies have to requalify with us every six months. However, I’m willing to make an exception with the understanding that she does requalify within the week.”

 

“Thank you, J’onn.”

 

“What’s your plan?”

 

“Our own research hasn’t turned up much on Ismenians, as you know. If we’re assuming a trap, I want to have at least some idea of what we’re up against. Once we have that and Kara’s report, we’ll scramble a team.”

 

“I don’t suppose I can convince you to run the op from here?” Alex simply raised an eyebrow in response, and J’onn sighed. “It was worth a try.” Smirking, Alex turned to Vasquez.

 

“Get a team moving to the armory. I want to be ready to deploy as soon as we can.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Alex glanced at Winn and Maggie, hoping at least one of them was getting somewhere. She could feel J’onn watching her, but chose to ignore it.

 

“Supergirl, checking in!” Kara’s voice crackled over the comms. “I am on scene, and there’s definitely activity. I see two big trucks, approximately 12 hostiles, but no giant off-world portal.”

 

“So maybe he’s making a sale today, rather than an import?”

 

“Could be. Orders?”

 

“Just keep watching. We’re trying to get some more intel before we move.”

 

“So, I got something from one of Lyra’s buddies. Ismenians are not my favorite alien, I can already tell you that. They’re gross and disturbing and-”

 

“Winn.”

 

“Right. So our guy fits the basic physical description - around 7 feet tall, lanky, strong, not exceptionally fast, lots of teeth, one extra eye. Our previous intelligence missed something pretty important though: they’ve got a retractable spike on each arm. It can extend out to about a 90 degree angle. And also, it’s poisonous.”

 

“Of course it is,” Alex sighed.

 

“But it gets weirder. So, uh, they hunt with these spikes, right? Primary purpose. But the thing is, it stabs the prey, and the poison actually starts healing the wound within minutes.”

 

“What? How does that make any sense as a hunting method?”

 

“Well, uh… it’s just that they prefer their food a few days... decomposed. So they’ll literally stab it, let the wound heal around their terrifying spike, and drag the body around until mealtime. Keeps whatever unfortunate creature from being able to escape.”

 

“They prefer smaller prey,” Maggie added, pocketing her phone. “Things that won’t exhaust them to carry like that. No one knows what it would do to a human, but no one thinks it’s anything good.”

 

“Good thing we’ve got a Kryptonian!” Kara cut in.

 

“You need to be careful too, Supergirl.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Kara was silent for a moment. “Ok, two things. The trucks are moving, and… did we know there are two of these Ismenians?” Alex and J’onn exchanged looks.

 

“We did not,” J’onn responded.

 

“Definitely two. And also, the trucks are going in different directions. One Ismenian went with each.”

 

“Winn?” Alex prompted.

 

“Pulling up traffic cameras now.”

 

“Supergirl, stay with the truck going east. Vasquez will bring Alpha team your way. Don’t make a move until you’re together.”

 

“And you?” J’onn asked.

 

“Sawyer and I are taking Bravo team and going after the other truck. Winn, keep me posted.”

 

“I was kind of expecting a fight to be allowed to join,” Maggie noted as she and Alex hustled to the armory.

 

“You’re technically not field qualified,” Alex admitted, explaining J’onn’s requirement as they geared up.

 

“I can handle that. Remind me to thank him,” Maggie requested, following Alex out to their transport.

 

“Supergirl?” Alex prompted once they were on the move.

 

“Still tailing mine. Seems to be heading out of the city.”

 

“Copy. Winn?”

 

“I’ve sent live coordinates to the GPS, but your mark is about 5 miles west.”

 

“I’ve got eyes on Vasquez now,” Supergirl noted.

 

“Alex, your target just pulled up to another warehouse. Still inside the city, but fairly isolated.”

 

“And ours is almost clear of the city limits,” Supergirl shared.

 

“Let them get a bit more distance so we can limit collateral damage. Bravo team is approaching ours on foot, leaving the transport. Alpha, I’ll call it when we’re in position. I want it to be simultaneous so they don’t have an opportunity to warn each other.”

 

“Copy that,” Vasquez responded.

 

“I assume we’re hanging back to give them time to clear the van?” Maggie questioned.

 

“Yeah. I don’t want anyone to take off when we go in.”

 

“I think that’s about as clear as you’re going to get, Bravo team. Once you’re in there, I’ll mostly lose visual, at least on the lower half,” Winn warned a minute later.

 

“Copy. Alpha team?”

 

“In position.”

 

“Sawyer and I will take the bottom floor. Dorman, Kelley, you’ve got the upstairs. Unger, post up outside and be ready to assist where needed. No one gets past you.” Her team all nodded at their assignments. “Do your thing, Supergirl.”

 

“With pleasure!”

 

“Bravo, let’s move.” As they moved in, Alex heard the distinctive sound of Supergirl landing, using her body to stop the other van, and she allowed a small, feral smile to cross her face. Maggie shook her head knowingly.

 

“Sometimes I think you enjoy this too much.” Alex didn’t respond verbally, just broadened her grin and led the way inside. The van was sitting there, back doors open and no one in sight. Alex nodded for Dorman and Kelley to proceed up the stairs as planned, while she and Maggie cautiously peered into the van. A noise to the left drew their attention just before a human-appearing hostile stepped into view, two guns up. He immediately opened fire; Alex dove to her left while Maggie dodged behind a crate on her right. Alex swore quietly, and Kara was instantly in her ear.

 

“I heard that. Everything ok? I can come to you.”

 

“Stay, Supergirl,” Alex whispered sharply. “We’re fine.” With that, she reached up and turned off her mic; she’d still hear everything, but wouldn’t risk distracting Kara. A burst of gunfire from upstairs drew her attention for a moment, but Dorman and Kelley gave no indication of injury. Alex poked her head up cautiously, seeking Maggie. She was moving stealthily across the room, tracking the enemy who’d fired on them. Before Alex could join her, a muffled footstep behind her had her diving to the side again, just in time to avoid an attack from the Ismenian. She blinked; he was bigger in person than she’d anticipated, even having seen surveillance photos and hearing Winn’s report. Alex scrambled to her feet and fired her first two shots. Both hit the creature square in the left shoulder, causing it to hiss in pain, but otherwise having little effect.

 

“Well, shit.” Alex holstered her pistol and lifted the rifle that was slung to her back. Before she could line up a shot, the Ismenian launched itself at her, throwing her back and ripping the rifle away.

 

 _Didn’t know they could jump like that,_ Alex thought, getting to her feet again. The Ismenian stalked towards her, an unmistakably predatory movement. As it did, it shifted its right arm, and Alex couldn’t help her fascination as a layer of muscle and skin shifted to allow the spike to spring free.

 

“Whoa,” she breathed unintentionally. It stopped the Ismenian short, the creature tilting its head curiously. It held its arm up, letting Alex watch as the spike resettled and the skin shifted back over. A moment later, the spike came back out. Alex was intrigued by the biomechanics, and quickly realized the alien had done it again to let her see it work.

 

“Um, that was cool, so… thanks?”

 

“You were enthralled. We can appreciate curiosity,” it replied, and Alex wasn’t surprised that it knew English. “It also makes no difference what you learn. You are about to die regardless.”

 

“Ok, so that really ruined the moment.” Alex reached for her favorite alien gun, but before she could draw it fully, the Ismenian had jumped again and had her pinned to the wall, feet dangling well above the floor.

 

“Like for like, yes?” The creature drew back slightly before lifting one arm and plunging the spike into Alex’s left shoulder. She couldn’t stop the scream that tore from her throat, and was absently thankful she’d turned her mic off. Kara would never be able to stay focused if she’d heard that.

 

“I still win,” Alex grit out. Not giving the Ismenian a chance to respond, her right hand brought her beloved gun up to its head and fired twice. It slumped over instantly. Alex almost regretted her decision, as the now-lifeless body only pulled at the spike still buried in her shoulder and made her realize it had gone all the way through and was pinning her to the wall at least two feet above the ground. She groaned, trying to focus on the radio chatter and determine if anyone was available to assist. From the sound of things, no one was quite yet. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to block the burning pain in her shoulder and decide on Plan B. When she opened them again, she was startled to find a man standing in front of her, arms crossed, staring in disappointment. Alex raised her gun, but the man had a clear advantage as he nimbly stripped it from her hand and dropped it on the floor.

 

“This was a test run. I suppose it technically is a win, as you put it, but I’d hardly say you passed with flying colors. It’s hard to give a good review to something that ends with impalement, wouldn’t you say?”

 

“Who the hell are you?” Alex asked, no longer able to distinguish him clearly. Her vision was blurring. Bad sign.

 

“Don’t worry about that yet. You’ll see me again soon enough, if you make it out of here alive. I doubt you’ll remember this, which is for the best. And I’m sorry for what’s about to happen.” He reached up and removed her helmet, setting it on the floor next to her gun. He brushed back the hair that had fallen in her face, sighing as she weakly attempted to jerk away. “For what it’s worth, I do hope you survive this. It would be a waste if not. Good night, Agent Danvers.”

 

His previously gentle hand now gripped her hair, pulling her head forward before slamming it back against the wall.

 

It was almost a relief when everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said more action. Maybe I meant more stabbin'. Alex is sure having a rough week... what's next?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the comments and kudos! You make this so much more fun for me, especially the theories. Here we go, continuing Alex's Terrible Week.  
> Lyrics: Brandi Carlile, Late Morning Lullaby

_ Yesterday is gone now and panic sets in _

_ With a weight upon my chest _

_ and a ghost upon my back _

_ And the numbing sensation of everything I lack _

  
  


\-----------------------------

  
  


Voices were the first thing Alex became aware of when she started regaining consciousness.

 

“Start with trying to calm down. Her Kara-sense is going to pick up on your panic and wake her up. Let’s try to spare her that until we have some pain meds available.” Maggie, low and quiet, but with an undercurrent of anxiety.

 

“None of which matters if we can’t figure out the best way to get her off the wall!” Kara, the anxiety more of an over-current.

 

“Shit, she’s waking up. Talk to her, Kara. Soothing. Vasquez is on the line with Hamilton now.”

 

“Hey, Alex, it’s me. I know you’re stubborn and a fighter, but you can relax. Don’t try to wake up and fix this yet. Maggie and I are here. You’re gonna be fine.” Kara’s words were calming, but her voice shook, and Alex couldn’t ignore that. She forced her eyes open, seeking out her sister.

 

And then the pain registered. Alex screamed, the sound ringing in her own ears and almost drowning out the frantic sound of Kara apologizing - for what, Alex wasn’t sure.

 

“Kara?” she gasped, trying to make sense of the situation. She’d finally realized her sister’s arms were wrapped firmly around her legs, supporting her weight. “Why’m I stuck?”

 

“Ismenian spike,” came the answer from Maggie, suddenly standing beside Kara.

 

“Oh, s’right.” Alex noted the way her words slurred, and judging by the matching frowns, so did the two women in front of her.

 

“It’s only been a few minutes. Kara… separated the alien from the spike, but with what that thing can do, we’re afraid we’ll cause more damage if we remove it from your shoulder before we get you to a medical facility,” Maggie explained.

 

“But I’m not sure how to get you down without causing more damage anyway if we leave it intact,” Kara added.

 

“Just get me down.”

 

“Are you sure? The wound is already closed around it; that’ll reopen in, and on top of that, when it starts closing again, the poison will be stuck in there too.” Maggie reached out, her hand gently coming to rest on Alex’s left knee.

 

“I know, not great. But yes, do it.”

 

“This is going to hurt, Alex. I’m so sorry.” Alex wanted to protest that she was the one who was sorry, that she was the one making her own sister do something that would hurt her, but before she could try to find words, Kara’s hands were moving. She opted to pull Alex free of the spike, leaving it stuck in the wall, and Alex vaguely appreciated the thought process. And then, as expected, the pain caught up, and it was again a relief as Alex blacked out.

 

The reprieve didn’t last long; she was roused this time by a different type of pain, and opened her eyes to find Maggie applying what felt like bruising pressure to her shoulder.  Alex tried to squirm free, only stilling when Maggie chided her.

 

“Stay still, Danvers.”

 

“Wha’ happened?”

 

“It’s bleeding more than we expected.”

 

“What?” Maggie frowned at the question, tilting her head. Before she could respond, Vasquez elbowed her way in.

 

“We’ve gotta get you stable enough to move, Alex. Anything else I need to worry about right now?”

 

“Umm.” Alex let her eyes wander, relaxing slightly when she found Kara. “Where are we?”

 

“Warehouse,” Maggie supplied, studying Alex’s face. “You have no idea why, though, do you?”

 

“No,” Alex admitted, feeling lost. “I’m sorry. I ‘on’t know. I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s ok, you have nothing to apologize for,” Maggie promised, moving one hand from holding pressure just long enough to brush Alex’s hair back.

 

“Showing signs of TBI,” Vasquez commented. “We need to keep an eye on that.”

 

“TBI?” Kara repeated.

 

“Traumatic brain injury.”

 

“They’re common, Kara,” Maggie hastened to explain. “Don’t let the name scare you.”

 

“If it’s not supposed to scare you, it shouldn’t have such a scary name,” Kara scowled, reaching out to grip Alex’s hand.

 

“Who has TBI?” Alex asked.

 

“Probably the alien you shot in the face,” Kara replied lightly.

 

“I did?”

 

“You did. You badass.”

 

“I think the bleeding’s slowed enough to transport.” Vasquez quickly repacked her field trauma kit before standing up.

 

“I’ll take her,” Kara offered quickly. When Vasquez hesitated, Kara pressed forward. “It’ll be quicker and the DEO isn’t that far.”

 

“That’s the thing, you can’t go too fast. We risk exacerbating her injuries.”

 

“You don’t have a stretcher or anything in the vehicle,” Kara argued. Head pounding, Alex decided to ignore their debate and focus instead on Maggie. It seemed the other woman had already come to the same decision; she was maintaining pressure on Alex’s shoulder, but her eyes were focused on her face. When Alex turned to look at her, Maggie smiled softly.

 

“Hanging in there?” she questioned.

 

“Mmm, sure,” Alex replied.

 

“That was convincing,” Maggie teased.

 

“You ok?”

 

“Yeah, all good. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you.”

 

“Oh, s’ok.” Alex was still unclear on what had actually happened, but she assumed if Maggie wasn’t with her, there was a good reason. Exhaustion creeping in, Alex let her eyes slip shut, reasoning that a few moments would be fine.

 

When she opened them again, she was surprised to find the bright lights of the DEO medbay overhead. Less surprising was the sight of both Kara and Maggie sitting by her bedside, Maggie asleep with her head leaning against Kara’s shoulder.

 

“Hey,” Kara said softly. Alex could only muster a low groan in response. Smiling, Kara carefully shifted Maggie away and moved to get Alex a cup of water, which she accepted gratefully. “Better?”

 

“Yeah,” Alex rasped. “Umm… what…?” Her thoughts and memories were jumbled, and she wasn’t sure what had actually happened or what she was even trying to ask.

 

“We’re at the DEO,” Kara offered. “Have been for about 18 hours now.” Alex’s eyebrows shot up.

 

“18 hours?” she repeated. “I’ve been out that long?”

 

“Not entirely. You woke up a couple times.” Something about the glint in Kara’s eyes made Alex suspicious.

 

“Please don’t tell me I did something embarrassing.” Her gaze shifted to Maggie, and Kara immediately softened.

 

“Not in that way,” she promised. “Mostly, you were just really confused and still out of it and made no sense. Those times weren’t so fun. But last time you woke up and kept insisting you had to go because the polar bears were on the loose and you needed to bring them back.”

 

“Polar bears?”

 

“Yep. You were very adamant. You only relented when Maggie came back in and promised to go with you to catch them if you’d let her take a nap first.” Kara’s eyes danced with amusement, and Alex moved her right hand up to cover her face. The movement alerted her to the fact that her left arm was immobile.

 

“Leaving the polar bears alone, what’s my damage?” Before Alex even finished the question, Kara was at the desk retrieving her chart.

 

“You know, this whole thing would have been a tiny bit less scary if someone had bothered to tell me that traumatic brain injury is just a scarier way of saying concussion,” Kara grumbled as Alex scanned the documents.

 

“Seems there were field indications of TBI with associated increased intracranial pressure; much bigger deal than a simple concussion. Vasquez was being cautious. Those symptoms resolved though, so simple concussion it is.”

 

“Not so simple when you’ve had multiple concussions in your past,” Maggie’s sleepy voice pointed out. Alex looked up, smiling as Maggie stretched in her chair.

 

“The shoulder wound closed itself, and they reopened it?” she questioned, opting not to argue with Maggie about concussions.

 

“Flushing the poison and checking the damage. Miracle there weren’t any broken bones.”

 

“Plus, it was really ugly the way it closed the first time. Hamilton cleaned it up a bit,” Kara added.

 

“Oh, well, I certainly can’t walk around with an ugly shoulder, so I owe her a thank you,” Alex joked. Kara rolled her eyes.

 

“No, it was epically bad, Alex. Like one of those horror movies where something evil starts coming through your skin. It would have frightened small children and the elderly.”

 

“There was a pretty significant protrusion. It would have been really annoying for things like your rifle sling and your Kevlar,” Maggie clarified. 

 

“So a less-sarcastic thank you is in order. Got it. And that’s it? Penetrating trauma to the shoulder and a moderate concussion?”

 

“And the potential poison in your bloodstream. You’re staying here until tomorrow so they can monitor that and your brain,” Kara said firmly.

 

“All in all, not so bad,” Alex decided, closing the chart and looking up to find Maggie and Kara both glaring. She winced. “I mean, you know… comparatively.”

 

“You got stabbed into a wall by a giant alien, who you then shot in the face. Not so bad isn’t how I’d describe that.” Alex frowned.

 

“So where did the TBI come from? Did it stab me so violently my head hit the wall?” she wondered, knowing neither of them would have the answer.

 

“We were hoping you could clarify that. Do you remember anything?”

 

“I do, unfortunately, remember him pinning me to the wall. And I don’t recall hitting my head then. I somewhat recall shooting him, but everything from then until about 10 minutes ago is fuzzy at best.”

 

“Why’d you take your helmet off?” Maggie asked, looking intent.

 

“What? I didn’t. I wouldn’t do that in the middle of a fight.”

 

“It was on the ground when I got to you.” Alex’s gut rolled at the realization that - of course - Maggie had been the first to find her like that. She knew that image would be in her nightmares for weeks to come.

 

“I don’t know the answer to that, but I swear I didn’t take it off.”

 

“What about your camera? If we pull that footage it should answer some stuff.” Suddenly excited, Kara was almost out the door before Alex called her name.

 

“I’m sure they’ve already done that. It’s standard for most ops, but certainly for something like this.”

 

“Oh. That makes sense. But I can still go make sure, and I can watch it myself to see-”

 

“Kara,” Alex cut her off abruptly. “Vasquez is really good at her job. I promise. If it makes you feel better, you can go ask her if she’s done that and what she found, but there’s no reason to waste time repeating what’s already been done.”

 

“I know I’m not DEO trained, but I can watch a video and find some answers as easily as anyone,” Kara argued, sounding wounded. Alex realized she thought it was her sister doubting her ability, which wasn’t the case, but she didn’t want to verbalize her real worries. She chose to defuse with a bit of half-truth.

 

“I know you can, and I’d trust you to do that. But there are plenty of people qualified to study tape, and only one qualified to be my little sister and make my hospital stay suck less.” All the fight instantly went out of Kara.

 

“Right, of course. You know there’s no job more important to me. I’ll just go check in with Vasquez real quick, let her and J’onn know you’re awake and coherent this time, and I’ll be right back.”

 

“Thanks, Kara. You’re my favorite sister.” With a grin, Kara was out the door. It was barely shut before Maggie turned a dubious look on Alex.

 

“What was that?”

 

“What was what?”

 

“It’s not just a sisterly comfort thing. You don’t want her watching that at all, do you?”

 

“Of course I don’t, Maggie. She doesn’t need to see and hear how it happened.”

 

“You realize she was the second person to get to you and she saw the aftermath.”

 

“Yes, and it’s bad enough that she had to be the one to get me out of that situation. And you, for that matter. Maggie, I’m so sorry you had to handle that.”

 

“It, uh… not my favorite moment, yeah. I heard you, Alex. I think my heart literally stopped for a moment. I’ve never heard a sound like that, and I couldn’t even do anything about it because I was still fighting off some of the human goons. I got to you as soon as I could, but… obviously not soon enough.” She trailed off, her eyes pleading for forgiveness.

 

“Not your fault, Mags. You did the best you could.”

 

“Yeah, well, that ended with you dangling from a wall for 10 minutes, so my best wasn’t good enough this time.” Before Alex could reply, the door opened, admitting Kara and J’onn. Both looked unhappy, so Alex braced herself for more bad news.

 

“Good to see you awake,” J’onn started with. “You were correct, we have already reviewed everything from your camera. It cuts off about 40 seconds after you shoot the Ismenian.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“I don’t know, Alex. It seems to have been disabled.”

 

“Could it be from the impact?” Kara suggested.

 

“Possible, but seems unlikely since it kept recording as long as it did.”

 

“Energy from her gun?” Maggie offered.

 

“Also possible, but we haven’t seen that before.”

 

“More weird shit with no answers,” Alex summarized. “Story of my life of late.”

 

“It’ll keep, Alex. Doctor’s orders are bed rest until tomorrow morning, and this doesn’t change that.”

 

“I’m not going to argue. My brain is mush right now, I wouldn’t get anywhere on this anyway.”

 

“Now I know you’re not feeling well,” J’onn observed dryly.

 

“Apparently moderate brain damage brings out my reasonable side.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind. You’re also restricted from field duty for a while, and Hamilton wants you to keep that sling on as long as possible to support your shoulder.”

 

“Is there any good news?” Alex groaned. J’onn thought about it for a moment before something came to him.

 

“Vasquez and Kara’s team brought in the other Ismenian alive. The one you killed was the ringleader, but we may still get something out of this one. Even though Supergirl did threaten to rip it’s arms off and beat it with them.” Alex raised an eyebrow at her sister, who blushed and looked away.

 

“We needed to know about the poison on the spike, and it wasn’t being very forthcoming,” she mumbled.

 

“Also, Kara panics a bit when you’re in danger,” Maggie added helpfully, earning a glare from Kara.

 

“I do not panic.”

 

“Right. ‘For the love of Rao, I’m going to rip off your right arm and beat you within an inch of your life, and then I’m going to rip off your left and beat you to within half an inch, and then we’ll see where we go next’ is the kind of thing a totally level-headed person says.”

 

“It sounds more brutal when you say it.”

 

“Yeah, because you can say it with a smile, and that is a special brand of terrifying.”

 

“Alex, I’m going to have Vasquez move forward with the final steps of shutting down this weapons ring,” J’onn said, ignoring the bickering between Kara and Maggie. “I know you like to see things through to the end, but if we sit on this until you’re back on your feet, that may leave time for the stragglers to reorganize. Or for someone else to take it over.”

 

“Yeah, I get it,” Alex sighed. “But I’ve got dibs on everything we bring in about their off-world portal.”

 

“Deal. Good work on this one, Agent Danvers. Now, follow doctor’s orders and we’ll see if we can’t at least get you back into your lab in a few days.” Alex nodded carefully, eyes focused on her fingers, thinking back over everything she remembered.

 

“Why the long face?” Kara asked once J’onn had exited.

 

“It still doesn’t make sense. Why the Ismenians made a move when they did. It felt like a trap, but it accomplished nothing for them.”

 

“What if…” Maggie fell silent for a moment, working through her thoughts before trying to put them into words. “What if you’re right, and it was a trap, but not for us?”

 

“Someone else wanted us to bust them?” Kara asked, tilting her head.

 

“Yeah. Maybe a rival, maybe someone with a grudge against them, I don’t know. But maybe someone else wanted us to get to them, and whoever that is set this in motion. Bribed them, threatened them, did something to force their hand and make them move before they really wanted to.”

 

“It’s an interesting theory. Makes more sense than the Ismenians just doing something out of the blue that goes completely against anything they’ve done before. It complicates things, putting a new player on the board that we know even less about, but I think it’s got merit,” Alex said slowly, trying to piece things together.

 

“An interesting idea that we can think about more tomorrow. You’re supposed to be resting that brain, Alex, not straining it to make connections.”

 

“I’m not straining it, Kara.”

 

“I believe I was requisitioned for sisterly comfort, and as such, I think my purview includes the right to table case discussions until a more appropriate time. And also, to insist on ice cream and cuddles.” She paused, frowning. “Is ice cream allowed?”

 

“I don’t see why not,” Maggie replied. “I’ll go get some, and some real food while I’m at it.”

 

“I can go. It’ll take a lot less time if I do.”

 

“Yeah, but it’s time you two could probably use together. I don’t mind.” With a smile, Maggie grabbed her jacket and slipped out. Kara looked at Alex knowingly.

 

“Kara, don’t. Please. Not right now.”

 

“Fine. I’m just saying, she’s been amazing and all because it’s you. Now, scoot over and let me provide adequate cuddles.”

 

“You’re annoying and I love you.”

 

“I know. You too. Both parts.” Grinning, Kara wrapped Alex in a careful hug. “Your life’s always been weird, Alex, and you’ve always figured it out. You’ve always made it work. You will this time, too, I can guarantee it.”

 

“We, Kara. We have and we will.”

 

“We will,” Kara repeated, pressing a lingering kiss to her temple. “Now, follow orders and get some rest. I promise I’ll wake you up for ice cream.”

 

Alex closed her eyes, resting easy in her sister’s gentle embrace. Kara always kept her promises; she would this time, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quieter chapter, because Alex deserves a break. And cuddles and ice cream.
> 
> Next one will have a bit more action and maybe even start with some answers...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeey, how about I give you a chapter a little earlier than usual? Sound good? Ok, I admit, it's because I said things like 'maybe action and answers' coming here, and there's a touch of that, but I let Maggie and Alex be in a room alone and apparently when they do that it's just a Feelings Explosion that takes up all the space. This was getting crazy long so I opted to split it into 2 chapters instead. Prepare yourselves for Graphic Depictions of Feelings.
> 
> Also, I put together a spotify playlist of things that are either chapter opening lyrics and/or just help me get the right headspace when I'm writing/editing, so if you're interested in some musical accompaniment:  
> <https://open.spotify.com/user/t9t6y4m2eoip9kjohrl4md9pr/playlist/6Ekri59mwWRacsoaZEyITe>
> 
> Lyrics - Florence and the Machine, Shake It Out

_And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't_  
_So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road_  
_And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope_  
_It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat_

\--------------

Two days later, Alex was finally allowed back into her lab. J’onn, with Kara’s enthusiastic support, had ordered another day off, a day that was spent alternately napping and watching mindless TV at Kara’s apartment. Maggie had joined them for lunch and dinner, but declined to stay the night.

Alex wouldn’t admit it, but the extra day with her sister had helped immensely. So, too, had the sleeping pills Dr. Hamilton insisted she take, at least for a few days; she didn’t recall any nightmares, and felt rested for the first time since the situation had started.

“Call me if you need any heavy lifting,” Kara insisted as she got ready to leave.

“You’ll be working. You know, at your actual job. I’m not going to make you drop everything and come over here to lift a box for me.” Alex rolled her eyes, looking around her lab and trying to decide where to start. Her left arm was resting comfortably in the snug sling she wore, the low-level pain still radiating from her shoulder to remind her why she had it.

“Alex, seriously. Don’t do anything to hurt yourself.”

“Don’t worry, Kara. That’s what I’m here for,” Maggie volunteered from the door.

“You’re here to hurt myself?” Alex joked, earning matching groans from the other two women.

“Your jokes are so bad sometimes, Danvers. So bad.”

“I’m glad to see you, Maggie. I’m heading to CatCo for the day, and it may be a long one. I promised James I’d get caught up on a few projects and help with a few of today’s deadlines. Alex is under orders to leave at 5:00 sharp.”

“No problem, I can give her a lift home.”

“Alex is literally right here,” the woman in question grumbled.

“Sorry. I’m just…”

“Worried. I know, Kara.”

“Be careful.”

“I’m just going to be in here doing science things all day,” Alex promised.

“Right. Like I said, be careful.” With a grin and a wink, Kara was gone. Alex shook her head affectionately before pinning Maggie with a sharp look.

“Seriously, Mags, I’m not planning to leave the lab today. You sure you don’t need - or want - to go anywhere else?”

“See, you’re not planning to leave, but I know you. Something comes up, you’ll be out there. And no, I went to the precinct for a while yesterday and finished some things, and I brought my laptop.” She paused, biting her lip uncertainly. “Of course, if you don’t want me in here, that’s… I mean, I won’t go far, because I still want to be able to check on you in person, but I could always-”

“Maggie,” Alex interrupted gently. “I don’t mind you being here. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me just because Kara can’t.”

“It’s as much about me as it is you, Alex,” Maggie admitted. “And it’s got nothing to do with obligation. You disappearing apparently isn’t the only thing to worry about now.” Her eyes lingered meaningfully on the sling.

“I’d love to see something get through DEO security for the purpose of disappearing or stabbing,” Alex laughed, clapping a hand over her mouth when Maggie groaned loudly.

“Seriously? Are you just trying to jinx things now? It’s not like things haven’t gotten in here before. And I swear, if I hear you utter anything about ‘what’s the worst that could happen’ in the next few hours, I may just stab your other shoulder myself.”

“Wow. Still a sore spot. Got it.”

“Sore spot,” Maggie repeated with a snort. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“I’m just… gonna say nothing at all for a while, I think,” Alex decided, before frowning thoughtfully. “Actually, can I blame that lapse in judgment on the concussion?”

“You’ve been making terrible jokes about disappearing again since literally the day you came back.”

“Is that a no?”

“Definitely a no.” Maggie’s scowl quickly faded into a grin, which she tried to conceal from Alex by focusing on her laptop. Alex just chuckled lightly as she moved back to her own computer. The lab was quiet for a while, until Alex glanced up from her work and caught Maggie simply watching her. The detective blushed slightly, but didn’t look away.

“I almost forgot how much I like watching you do your science nerd thing,” she said lightly, and Alex could only blink in surprise. Before she could even attempt to respond, Maggie moved on. “What is it you’re working on?”

“Um.” Flustered, Alex turned back to her screen for a moment. “Right, uh, so I’m looking at blood samples and poison samples, and how they interact.” Maggie frowned.

“Your blood and Ismenian poison?” she guessed.

“Yes. We don’t really know what it does, and the one in the cell still isn’t talking.”

“So what are you looking for?”

“Well, you know if you go looking for something in particular, you’re going to miss other possibilities.”

“Yeah, yeah. But?”

“...but I’m wondering if it had anything to do with my memory problems from the warehouse.”

“You can figure that out from blood samples?” Maggie asked dubiously.

“No, but I can at least start to see what it does to human blood and go from there.”

“Not to doubt the only brilliant scientist in this room, but Alex, you’ve had multiple concussions in your life. Hell, you’ve had at least four since I’ve known you. You know better than I do what that can do to a human brain.”

“Yeah, mine could look like a football player by the time I’m done. Set me up for CTE testing.”

“If you’re serious about the poison, maybe you should test it on someone,” Maggie suggested.

“Human trials after about two hours of research? That sounds like an ethics nightmare. Besides, none of you would let me inject myself with Ismenian poison this soon.”

“Obviously not. I wasn’t suggesting you.” Alex narrowed her eyes as she caught on.

“Maggie, there’s not a chance in hell.”  
“We’d know in a matter of hours if it had anything to do with the memory issue,” Maggie pointed out.

“And if it does something awful we just haven’t seen yet? Something long-term? No way. End of discussion.” Alex folded her arms - to the best of her ability with one in a sling - and Maggie held hers up in surrender.

“Fine. Just a suggestion.”

“A terrible one,” Alex replied.

“Yeah, well, you’re the one who automatically assumed I meant you should give yourself a second dose of Ismenian poison.”

“It’s logical.”

“It’s absurd,” Maggie growled, dropping her head to the table. After a moment, she sighed and sat up. “Sometimes I can’t remember how long it’s been since you and I were in the same room and it didn’t include an injury or an argument.” Alex frowned, recalling that even at her apartment the other night, they’d started off with an argument.

“To be fair, it’s not like we’ve exactly spent a ton of time together recently,” she demurred instead.

“Sure, but even… before. Maybe it’s why we’re not meant to be together.” The faint words hit Alex like a slap, and her eyes widened.

“Maggie, no. That’s not true, and I don’t think you really believe it either. Sure, there were fights at, uh… at the end, and with everything we’re both dealing with right now, I don’t think it’s surprising that things are tense. But we’ve always been able to work through them.”

“Almost always,” Maggie interjected quietly.

“Almost always,” Alex agreed softly. She studied the other woman intently, and was struck by the realization of how tired she looked. How had Alex missed that earlier? Some of the pieces started clicking into place. “Do you… maybe want to talk about what’s going on?”

“How the hell are you staying so calm through this shit, Danvers?”

“Um, I’m pretty heavily medicated right now, so that helps,” Alex offered, unsure if joking would lighten the mood or irritate Maggie even more. To her relief, Maggie actually laughed.

“Yeah, I guess it does. I’ve never stopped worrying about you, ya know? Kara, she’s pretty easy to keep tabs on; turn on the TV any given night and I can see if she’s all right. You’re harder. I’ve seen you at scenes a couple times, and I always look in the shadows when I do see Supergirl on TV. But usually it takes a bit of old-fashioned detective work.”

“You’re still important to me, Maggie. You could always text if you’re concerned.” Maggie rolled her eyes.

“Sure thing, Danvers. ‘Hey, so there’s some kind of crazy powerful Kryptonian destroying everything, you in the middle of that?’ Or the classic, ‘Heard you went to a parallel universe full of Nazis. How was that?’ I could definitely lead with that after months of nothing.”

“Nothing from both sides, to be fair. I’ve kept an ear out for you too.”

“Yeah? Ever consider practicing what you preach?”

“I thought you’d want space. And maybe to never see me again.”

“Funny thing,” Maggie said, with a pained smile that hinted at anything but funny, “is that for a while I thought that too. And then suddenly I’m faced with it being a very real possibility, and all I can think of is how much I did want to see you again. To be able to talk to you, and maybe hug you, and just know if you’re ok. Really ok, not just what I hear from others. And everything’s been so insane since you showed back up that I didn’t even get the chance to tell you that. That I’m sorry I never reached out when I saw Reign almost kill Kara. That I’m sorry I didn’t reach out, period.”

“You’re here now. I can’t even tell you how much that means. I know I hurt you, and I am so sorry for that. You asked how I’ve been so calm, and I know that means you don’t realize how much you’re a part of that. I couldn’t do this without you, Mags.”

“You’d still have Kara,” Maggie protested.

“And I couldn’t do it without her either, you’re right. But I need both of you. I don’t even know how you’ve been so strong through all of it. I know Kara leaned on you while I was gone, because she’s still doing it, but you deserve support too, Maggie. I hope you had that during that week, and I’m sorry I haven’t been able to provide it since.”

“You’re the one missing and stabbed and brain damaged, Alex,” Maggie said with a shaky laugh. “Not sure it’s your job to sort through my mental health.”

“Not my job, no, in the same way that loving Kara isn’t my job. You still matter to me. You always will.” Maggie offered a shaky smile but no other response, so Alex decided to push ahead while she still could. “Having nightmares?”

“Nightmares?” Maggie scoffed and dropped her gaze. “It’d be a luxury if it was just at night. I can barely close my eyes without seeing you in that warehouse. If it gets too quiet, all I hear is the screaming when it stabbed you, or when Kara pulled it out. Different noises, by the way, did you know that?”

“I did not,” Alex replied gently. “How can I help?”

“You know how this stuff is, Alex. I know you’ve got things in your head that won’t let go. Just gonna take some time to fade away a bit. Or, I guess, just be replaced by some fresh new horrors I can’t even anticipate yet.” Alex winced at the dark turn.

“Do you ever see a therapist?” she asked cautiously.

“Not regularly, but yes. And yeah, I’m probably about due for a visit.” Hesitant, Alex reached out and gripped her hand, causing Maggie to look up with a small, surprised smile. “This free therapy session helps too, I think,” she added with a wink.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Danvers. I’ve never been able to talk to anyone else like I can you. Therapist aside.”

“Same to you, Sawyer. Superhero sister aside.”

“Yeah, she is a pretty good listener.”

“Is that a super-hearing joke?”

“No, Danvers, I leave those terrible jokes to you.”

“Excuse you. My jokes are top-notch.” Alex noted that their hands were still clasped across the table, but she was loath to pull away. A knock at the door left her no choice, but as Alex started to turn, she felt Maggie squeeze her hand briefly before she stood up as well. It was Vasquez in the doorway, one eyebrow quirked.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting anything ma’am. Director’s orders were to bring the Ismenian portal to you as soon as possible.”

“Absolutely. How’d that go?”

“I think the smuggling ring is officially squashed, between taking the two Ismenians down and now bringing this in.” Vasquez set a large, lead-lined case on the floor, and Alex eyed it with interest. “As you can see, it all compacts down, nice and portable. Once it’s up and running, the size can also scale up or down as needed. Please don’t accidentally fall through it if you turn it on. Ma’am.” Alex narrowed her eyes as Vasquez grinned.

“Good advice, Susan, but I don’t plan to get it running anytime soon. I just want to poke at it.”

“All due respect, ma’am, I feel like you’d say the exact same thing if confronted with a bear.” Maggie couldn’t hide her snort of amusement.

“And you’d probably also tell me not to fall into it, so we’re square,” Alex shot back.

“Squared away, ma’am. Squared away.” Still grinning, Vasquez turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Alex shaking her head.

“Glad you’re enjoying this,” Alex grumbled, trying to look annoyed even though she truly was glad to see Maggie smiling.

“Oh, I absolutely am. She has a real knack for mixing sarcasm and respect. Also, I see the way you’re looking at your new portal and your poison-blood tests, and feel the need to remind you you’re ordered to leave by 5:00. Might want to pick just one for the day.”

“Damn your logic. I don’t know which one is more interesting.”

“Well, while you figure that out, why don’t I go grab lunch?” Alex looked up, ready to offer to go with her, but quickly decided Maggie probably wanted a few minutes alone. She nodded instead.

“Sure. I’m good with whatever today, just make sure-”

“Coffee with it. Gotcha covered.”

“Of course you do.” Alex watched Maggie head out, and found herself wondering about possibilities. The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts.

“Hey, Kara,” she greeted, half suspicious that Maggie had told her she was leaving, and this was Kara’s way of sister-sitting from afar.

“Hey! I just wanted to check in. Everything ok? Your heartbeat has been all over the place. Sorry, I tried really hard not to worry about it, but… I couldn’t.”

“It’s all right. Maggie and I had a conversation…” Alex filled her in on the high points, and could practically see the crinkle in Kara’s forehead as she carefully weighed her response.

“Where do you see this going, Alex? What are you hoping for here?” Alex hesitated, not quite ready to put voice to it yet.

“I don’t know, Kara. I just know I don’t want to imagine my life without her in it, not anymore.”

“I get that, but I don’t want to see you hurt again. Her either, for that matter. I’m not going to discourage you from anything, I know I’ve kinda been doing the opposite the last few days, but maybe we should focus on one thing at a time? Figure out what happened with you, and then you and Maggie can sort through… you know, everything.”

“Those things are pretty well intertwined. I mean, who knows how long it would’ve been before she and I crossed paths intentionally again, if not for that?”

“I hope you’re not implying that this was a good thing.” Kara’s tone was flat, hard, and Alex grimaced.

“No! No, not at all. Just that I don’t think rebuilding… a friendship, at least, is completely outside of the rest of the situation.”

“But you said yourself, she’s already overwhelmed. You know Maggie shuts things away; that’s probably why she was so ready to fight with you earlier.”

“It was weird how quick that happened,” Alex sighed.

“Just… think about it? One problem at a time?”

“I’ll think about it,” Alex promised. “How’s your stuff going?”

“Good, but tedious. I’m definitely not leaving at 5, but I’ll be over at your place later?”

“I’ll see you then. Thanks for listening, Kara.”

“Anytime. I love you.”

“Love you too.” Alex tucked her phone away and decided to take her sister’s advice, at least for the time being, and focus on her case. She was soon so engrossed, she didn’t even hear the door open and close when Maggie came back in. She was standing beside Alex before she even realized she was there.

“Earth to Danvers.”

“What? Ooh, sorry Maggie, I didn’t know you were back!”

“Yeah, so I noticed. I see you opted for continuing the bloodwork?”

“I figured I was already into that, might as well stay on it and maybe be done with it today.” Alex decided not to mention that she was also afraid Maggie was right about it, that the Ismenian poison had no impact on memory, that it was all her.

“Makes sense. How’s your head? Shoulder?” Glancing at the clock, Alex blinked in surprise.

“I guess it is time for another pill.”

“Thought as much,” Maggie grinned, holding out a sandwich and the prescription bottle. Alex stared at her expectantly until, with a dramatic eye roll, Maggie finally produced a cup of coffee as well.

“Thanks Mags.” Turning back to her computer, it only took Alex a moment to realize her usual multitasking wouldn’t be feasible with one arm. “Well, shit.”

“I wondered how you were going to manage that.” Alex turned to give her a half-hearted glare. In the process, she noted that Maggie looked more relaxed than she had earlier; given that and how long the lunch run had been, she wondered if Maggie had taken the opportunity for a walk to clear her head. 

“You know, technically Dr. Hamilton only said I had to wear the sling for as long as possible…”

“Don’t even think about it.” With a huff of indignation, Alex focused on her lunch, and was back at her computer before too long. The rest of the afternoon passed peacefully, and it was only Maggie clearing her throat emphatically that alerted Alex to the time.

“I think I need a drink,” Alex mumbled as she stood and stretched. She noticed the way Maggie tilted her head, but didn’t mention it as she moved to wrap things up for the day. When that was done a few minutes later, she turned to once again find Maggie watching her.

“I could go for a drink,” she said hesitantly.

“Really?” Alex asked, pleased.

“Yeah. But just one - you’re probably not supposed to have any with those meds.”

“I’m not taking the full doses. But you’re right, just one is a good idea. Let me shoot Kara a text so she doesn’t freak out.”

“I mean, she probably will anyway…” Maggie smirked as she led the way out.

“At least she knows I have adult supervision,” Alex replied.

“Oh, I’ve graduated from babysitter? Damn, I feel accomplished.”

“You let me science all day and nothing blew up, so the promotion is well-earned.”

An hour and one beer later, Alex was watching Maggie debate whether or not she should have another.

“Go for it, Mags. The one-drink limit was for me; you’ve definitely earned two. I can drive if needed. Have another beer, relax, and then we can go pick up dinner and head to my place. Kara may be done at CatCo by then.”

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. It’s nice, being somewhere aside from work or an apartment, just being able to be out here.” She didn’t add ‘with you,’ much as she wanted to, but something in Maggie’s face said she’d heard it loud and clear anyway. With an almost shy smile, Maggie slipped out to order her beer, returning a minute later with it and two glasses of water.

“Bet I’d beat you at pool if we played now.”

“But can you even imagine how embarrassing it would be if you couldn’t?”

“God, I’d never live that down.” Alex laughed, revelling in how normal it felt. She closed her eyes, just soaking in a moment she never thought she’d have again, before mentally apologizing to Kara and looking over to find Maggie watching her curiously.

“Alex? You ok?”

“Yeah, I’m great. Better than I’ve been in a while. I just…” she bit her lip, looking down at her free hand before forcing herself to meet Maggie’s now concerned gaze. “Maggie, what if I was wrong?”

“About what? The Ismenian poison thing? Because, I’m sorry, but I still think you are. Or do you mean pool? I think you’re probably right about that, sad as that is for me.” The sudden rambling led Alex to believe Maggie probably had a much clearer idea of what she was referring.

“No, Mags. I’m sorry, maybe this isn’t ok for me to do, at least not here and now, but I was talking about you and me. The future. What I really wanted.” Maggie took in a deep, calming breath; paradoxically, it made Alex feel more panicked.

“I think you’re right about here and now not being the right time. But also? I think it’s the only time that makes sense for you. You almost died. We still have no idea about the 8 days you were missing. You’re scared, and I’ve always been good for making that feeling better.”

“Maggie, no, it’s not just that. You mentioned the trip to Earth X earlier, the shitty one with Nazis. I haven’t gotten to tell you anything about that yet, but the most important thing is that while I was there, all I could think about was making it out, saving Kara, and getting back to you.” To her surprise, Maggie just smiled sadly.

“Doesn’t that just prove my point? That was scary, you could’ve died, and you wanted me again. So you get back to our world and… what? You sure didn’t call me then. Or any of the less stressful times in the year since.”

“Maggie-”

“Alex, please. I can’t go through this again right now. I just...” She paused, studying her beer bottle intently, and Alex held her breath. “I’m not saying we can’t talk about it, down the line. I just can’t trust either of us to think about it rationally right now.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Alex stood up, pulling back slightly when Maggie reached for her arm.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m not running. I promise. It’s just my turn to step outside and clear my head. Take your time, finish your beer.” With a strained smile, Alex slipped over to the back door. Once outside, she took a shaky breath and leaned against the wall. 

“Stupid, Danvers. Stupid. You shouldn’t have listened to Kara back then, but obviously should have today.” She paced down the alley, fighting back tears and hoping she could center herself again before Maggie came out. She glanced at the phone in her hand briefly before deciding against calling Kara; she could catch her up on her massive misstep later. “I can’t believe I did that. What is even wrong with me?” Her self-recriminations were interrupted by the sudden feeling of a strong forearm locking around her neck, and a low, unfamiliar male voice in her ear.

“Sounds like this is a bad time, Agent Danvers, but you and I have something to talk about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said there was still a bit of action. ;-) Good news is, since I had to split this in two, the next chapter is half done already and it really does have action, answers, and maybe these two idiots getting a handle on some emotions. Thank you guys for being at least 9 different kinds of awesome!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Got some answers, got some action, got some cold Chinese food... it's got it all!
> 
> Lyrics - Pink, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

__ I will have to die for this I fear  
__ There’s rage and terror and there’s sickness here  
_ I fight because I have to  
_ __ I fight for us to know the truth

 

\------------------

 

Alex clenched her jaw, cursing her inability to draw her weapon with her phone in one hand and the sling on the other. Whoever this was, he wasn’t a trained fighter; he’d left her an opening she didn’t intend to ignore. As he shifted them further back, she planted her feet and drove her right elbow back into his sternum. The hit connected, and was enough to send him stumbling back; unfortunately for her, he was smart enough to have worn some sort of body armor, and she felt the shock of the hit running up her arm.

 

“You are a remarkably difficult woman to catch alone, by the way,” he gasped, holding both hands up. “Props to your guard dogs. I’m not here to hurt you, I just want to talk.”

 

“What kind of idiot starts a simple talk with a chokehold?”

 

“The kind of idiot who knows that walking up to you in an alley is basically asking for an ass-kicking, even if you do only have one arm.”

 

“Who the hell are you? Have I met you before?” she demanded, studying him intently. He was unfamiliar to her, all floppy blond hair and nervous green eyes, only slightly taller than her, slender but solid.

 

“Someone who knows what’s happened to you. Most of it, anyway. And no; I’ve seen you, but you’ve never met me.” Alex froze, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

 

“I’m listening.”

 

“Thought you might. But I’m not gonna give you much to listen to without some assurances first.”

 

“Yeah? You’re not getting any assurance of anything until you give me a good reason.”

 

“Expected that too.” He slowly moved a hand to his front pocket, withdrawing a USB drive. “This is fairly redacted; can’t have you getting all the goods without cutting me in.” With a wink, he set it on the ground and slid it over. Alex picked it up quickly, tucking it into her own pocket.

 

“Why are you bringing this to me?” She was surprised by the shift in his demeanor, the cockiness instantly dissolving into something far more sincere.

 

“I didn’t sign up for experiments on humans against their will.”

 

“Experiments?”

 

“Surely you suspected as much.” At Alex’s silence, he frowned and looked away. “Guess not. There are some details on there, enough that someone as smart as you will figure out the gist of it. And yes, it should be reversible; that’s part of what you’ll get once I’m sure I’ll be protected.” While he talked, he glanced around the area nervously, and Alex surreptitiously unlocked her phone to send a quick text to Maggie.

 

_ May need backup. Alley. Quietly. _

 

“Protected? Who do you work for?”

 

“Yes, protected. I’m taking a risk just being here. And, if you’re as smart as they say, you’ll be able to figure that out yourself when you look at what’s on there. It’s enough for you to know that I’m serious, that I know what I’m talking about, and that I’m far more valuable to you alive and well.”

 

“And you want what in return?”

 

“Amnesty, for one. No charges or punishment for what I was involved in. Protection from them. A new start somewhere else.”

 

“I need time to look at this first and see if it does actually merit any such promises.”

 

“Of course. But this is time sensitive, you understand. You get 12 hours.”

 

“That’s not nearly enough.”

 

“Sure it is. You’re extremely focused when it counts. My contact is in there; if I don’t hear from you before time’s up, then…” he trailed off, shrugging lazily.

 

“Then you just go back to doing unethical shit for a boss you fear?”

 

“Nah, I probably just disappear and take my chances on my own. Either way doesn’t help you out much, hmm?” Alex clenched her teeth, and he offered her a smile. “12 hours, Agent Danvers. Clock’s ticking.” He rendered a sharp, military style salute; before he could lower his arm, the familiar crack of a gunshot rang out, and they both dropped to the ground. Alex peered up to find an agitated Maggie, gun in hand.

 

“Jesus Christ, Sawyer, I said quietly!”

 

“Alex, that wasn’t me.”

 

“It wasn’t…? Oh, shit.” Hauling herself to her feet, Alex lurched over to the body between them. Blood was pooling under his skull, his right arm still raised. Swearing again, Alex snapped a picture with her phone and then jerked her head. “We’ve gotta move.”

 

“Who the hell was that?” Maggie asked as they ran down the alley.

 

“One problem at a time. I hear that’s the smart way to do things,” Alex grunted as she ripped off her sling.

 

“Alex, your shoulder-”

 

“If we’re about to be in a fight, I’d rather not give an obvious target. And I’m going to need that arm.” As they rounded a corner, Alex texted the picture to Vasquez.

 

“This is what I get for not taking us to the alien dive bar,” Maggie gasped.

 

“On the bright side, this is closer to the DEO. C’mon, into that building.”

 

“Oh, yes, because you’ve had such luck with abandoned warehouses lately,” Maggie snarked.

 

“To be fair, the last one wasn’t really abandoned. I just need a minute to make a call, and we need to figure out if they’re even after us or if he’s the only target.” Once inside, they scrambled up a flight of rusty stairs; Alex took a knee, phone in hand, while Maggie positioned herself at the window, searching for pursuers.

 

“Danvers,” Vasquez greeted. “I assume there’s a reason you sent me a picture of a dead guy?”

 

“Obviously. I need an ID on him ASAP. Anything at all we can find.”

 

“I’m on it, ma’am. Should I also be tracking your phone?”

 

“Yeah, probably.”

 

“I’m glad you said that.”

 

“You’re already tracking it, aren’t you?”

 

“Obviously. Ma’am.”

 

“We may have pursuit; I’m going quiet. If you find anything on him, just sit on it until you hear from me.”

 

“Copy that. I’ll advise the director.”

 

“Thanks, Vasquez. Bet he never sends me home early again.”

 

“Alex, incoming,” Maggie warned. Alex hung up without another word, sending a quick text to Kara.

 

_ Might have a situation. I’ll let you know. Love you. _

 

“How many?” Silencing her phone, Alex slid it into her pocket and moved to the window

 

“I only see 3 so far.”

 

“That’s nothing!”

 

“How about 6 or 7?”

 

“That might be something.” Hearing the same thing Maggie had, Alex moved to another window and confirmed that another squad was coming down the opposite street.

 

“What’s our play? I don’t love these odds.”

 

“Agreed.” Alex looked around, spotting a straight ladder with roof access across the room. “There. We go up and out and get some more distance between us.”

 

“I’m sold. They haven’t zeroed in on this building yet, but I don’t think it’ll be long.” Alex led the way, but stepped back and indicated for Maggie to go first when they reached it. Maggie gave her an inquisitive look.

 

“You’ll move quicker. Get position and see if we’ve been made.”

 

“You better not even be considering some self-sacrificing shit,” Maggie warned as she started climbing. Alex waited until she was clear and then started up herself. As expected, her left shoulder was limited, and it took her longer to finish the steep climb. 

 

“Anything?” Alex gasped, holding her arm close and deciding she actually missed her sling. Maggie gave her a worried look.

 

“I think-” her response was cut off by by a spray of bullets. “I think that’s a yes, they’re onto us.”

 

“Of course. We still have the position advantage for now,” Alex noted.

 

“Bottleneck at the ladder?”

 

“Probably only get a few before they catch on, but it’ll buy time.” Pulling her gun, Alex took up a spot with a partial view of the ladder, waiting for Maggie to get in position across from her. They both crouched, listening to the quiet approach of an obviously well-trained team.

 

“We know you’re up there,” a deep voice called. “And we know who you are, Agent Danvers.” Maggie and Alex exchanged worried looks.

 

“All we want right now is that flash drive,” someone else called. “Give us that and we walk away.”

 

“Maggie, I can’t do that,” Alex whispered urgently.

 

“I’m with you. Whatever it is, it’s too important.”

 

“C’mon, be smart here. We’d hate to put a hole in your other shoulder.” Alex clenched her jaw, vision blurring with rage.

 

“Don’t let him get to you, Alex. He’s taunting you to get you in there,” Maggie whispered. Alex gave a sharp nod. There was a tense silence for a few moments until finally, a head cleared the opening. His eyes quickly found Maggie, and he pulled himself up and turned his gun on her. Alex didn’t hesitate to take a shot at his back. Maggie rolled to her left and fired three bullets into the ladder opening. Judging by the noises from below, Alex was certain she’d hit at least one of them.

 

“Let’s get some distance and see about backup,” Alex urged.

 

“No argument!” Maggie followed Alex across the roof, hesitating once they reached the edge. “Seriously, Danvers? We’re gonna jump this?”

 

“It’s maybe 3 feet. We’ll be fine. Unless you’d rather go back down the way we came?” Maggie shot her a withering glare, but nodded briefly. Taking a deep breath, Alex stepped up and launched herself over, Maggie landing seconds after her. They both rolled on impact, and Maggie came up with a laugh.

 

“Ok, gotta admit, that was fun.” Alex grinned and pushed herself up, wincing at the pull in her shoulder. Maggie gave her a concerned look, but didn’t comment.

 

“Stairs,” Alex said, pointing to a door a few feet away.

 

“Let’s hope it’s unlocked, cause they’re coming after us again.” The door was locked, and Alex growled in frustration as she jiggled the handle. She took a step back and drove her boot into the door, hearing it start to give. She was stepping back for another attempt when their pursuers started shooting. Alex and Maggie both ducked around the corner, Maggie swearing loudly.

 

“Are you hit?” Alex asked frantically, both hands reaching out.

 

“It’s fine, just get the door open. We’re screwed if we stay here.” With a quick glance to the other roof, Alex stood and threw her full bodyweight into the door, pleased when it popped open. 

 

“Got it, Mags, let’s roll.” As they ran down the stairs, Alex pulled her phone out, ignoring the notifications of missed calls and texts from Kara. She sent out a one word response -  _ Help _ \- and tucked the phone away again. When they reached the street a moment later, Alex took a moment to re-orient herself and then led Maggie the only direction they hadn’t seen any of their pursuers come from. They took a few turns, trying to confuse any followers, and finally came to a stop when Maggie tugged on Alex’s arm.

 

“Need a second,” she gasped, hand pressed to her side.

 

“Kara’s on her way. I think. You doing ok?”

 

“I’ll live. Is it just me, or was that whole escape thing just a bit too easy?”

 

“Not just you. I don’t like it. You good to keep moving? We just need to keep ahead of them until she gets here.” At Maggie’s nod, Alex leaned her head out to scout the area, and then continued leading her. They’d gotten another block in when gunshots started again, narrowly missing them and pinging off the building beside them. Cursing, Alex grabbed Maggie and dragged her into another alley for cover.

 

“Shit, Alex, that was coming from overhead.”

 

“That’s why they didn’t chase us down. They’re trying to corral us somewhere,” Alex realized. She craned her neck, trying to see the rooftops around them but having no luck.  “Ok, we know what they want, and we know they don’t seem to want us dead, but we don’t know what or where they’re trying to push us towards.”

 

“This would be a great time for Supergirl to swoop in,” Maggie noted. Alex chuckled, giving up on her roof search and dropping her gaze to Maggie. With a start, she realized how close together they were standing. Maggie’s breath hitched, and Alex knew she’d just noticed the same. Alex didn’t think she was imagining the other woman shifting just a little bit closer, but a sudden noise overheard drew both of their gazes up in time to see a figure rappel over the edge of the building.

 

“Just perfect,” Alex groaned, pulling her weapon and taking up a stance. The man had his rifle trained on them before he even got his feet down.

 

“Nowhere to run this time,” he observed with a cocky grin.

 

“You like your odds here?” Alex challenged.

 

“Two on one? Not bad. Two on five? I definitely like that. Our orders are not to kill you, Danvers, but your friend here got no such distinction. Just give me the flash drive and I won’t feel the need to shoot either of you.”

 

“Why should we trust that?”

 

“Fair question,” he shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t actually care what happens to either of you; orders are orders, and my primary objective is that drive. How I get it is up to me. Leaving you alive doesn’t have to mean leaving you in one piece, you know.” Before Alex could respond, she heard a familiar rush of air overhead, and she allowed a small grin.

 

“You’re about to wish your orders were literally anything else,” she promised. He frowned, his gaze darting up at the sound of one of his men screaming. Eyes widening slightly, he lifted a hand to his ear and called for backup. Alex seized the opening, using her good shoulder to drive him into the wall and following up with a kick to the inside of his knee. Behind her, she was vaguely aware of Maggie shooting at someone, and Kara dropping another man into the street.

 

Her own target lashed out with the butt of his rifle, bashing Alex’s left shoulder. She clamped her jaw down against a scream, using his momentum to flip him to the ground and driving her heel into his wrist until the rifle slipped from his grip. She kicked it away before throwing her knee into his sternum, satisfied with the cracking noise and gasp for air that followed. His arm wrapped around her leg, rolling her and pinning her below him.

 

“You’re gonna pay for that one,” he sneered.

 

“Doubt it,” Alex replied, bracing herself before surging upward to level him with a headbutt. When his grip slackened and he fell back slightly, she followed up with a punch to the face and finally a jab to his throat that left him slumped over. Briefly patting her pocket to verify the flash drive was still there, Alex stumbled out to the street to see what else was happening.

 

When she found Kara supporting Maggie, and a small collection of unconscious bodies, she could only laugh in relief.

 

“DEO?” Kara questioned, holding out her free arm for Alex to lean into. At Alex’s nod, Kara tightened her hold for a quick one-armed hug, and then cautiously lifted off. When they landed a few moments later, they were met immediately by a concerned J’onn and Vasquez.

 

“Everyone ok?” J’onn asked, eyes scanning the trio.

 

“Nothing life-threatening,” Maggie responded before either Danvers sister could. “But I, for one, do need a trip to medical.”

 

“I’ll get you there,” Alex promised. “Vasquez, got anything for me?”

 

“Yes ma’am. Not much, but a start. I’ll be ready when you get back up here.”

 

“Perfect.” Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew the flash drive and handed it over. “Have someone scan this, make sure it’s not going to attack our systems, and then drop it off at my lab. I’ll be back soon.”

 

“You and I are talking soon too,” Kara warned, eyes flashing.

 

“Trust me, I know. Thanks for the save.”

 

“Always.” Instantly softening, Kara leaned in to kiss her sister’s forehead. “Now go, get taken care of.”

 

“You don’t have to stay with me, you know,” Maggie prodded as they moved towards medical. Alex blinked in surprise.

 

“Oh. Um, right, I guess you would rather…”

 

“Let me stop you there. Normally, you’re the one I’d rather have fixing me up. But Alex, this is minor, and what’s going on up there is not. Besides which, you really only have one good arm. I’m just suggesting we let someone with two arms patch this up while you get a jump on everything happening right now.”

 

“You mean that?”

 

“Of course. I trust you more than anyone. If you really think that fixing my side yourself is the best use of your time right now, I won’t argue. But I think we both know that’s not true.” Sighing, Alex nodded slightly.

 

“Fair. You promise it’s nothing major?”

 

“Promise. I doubt it even needs stitches.”

 

“Ok.” Pushing open the medbay door, Alex found a medic already waiting. “I’ll leave you to it, then. I’ll probably be in my lab when you’re done here.” Maggie didn’t release the arm that was wrapped around Alex.

 

“Don’t take off just yet. Grab another sling and an ice pack while you’re here. I see the way you’re guarding that shoulder; did you take a hit during that fight?”

 

“It’ll be fine, but replacing the sling is a good idea.”

 

“Agent Danvers,” the medic sighed, moving to one of his cabinets. “I’m pretty sure Dr. Hamilton specifically ordered no fighting.”

 

“It was that or be shot in the face,” Alex replied glibly. “I think we’d all prefer the first.”

 

“You can explain that to her tomorrow,” was the response as he quickly assisted with getting the sling adjusted and an ice pack in place. Alex sighed in relief as some of the strain was taken off her shoulder.

 

“Now, take good care of Detective Sawyer, or I’ll be the one shooting you in the face,” she warned. “Thanks for the sling.”

 

“She didn’t mean that. Well, I mean, she kinda did, but…” Alex smirked as Maggie’s explanation faded behind her. Kara met her halfway back to the control room.

 

“You should have called me in sooner,” she started. “You text me about a mysterious situation and then ignore me forever? And you ended it with the I love you?”

 

“It was not forever, it wasn’t even 10 minutes. And am I not allowed to tell my sister I love her?” Alex deflected.

 

“You never do that with a short text like that, Alex. You thought it was going to end badly.” Hearing the accusation in her voice, Alex stopped and faced her.

 

“I didn’t know how it was going to go, Kara. I knew it might be bad, and in case it was, I wanted you to know that one more time.”

 

“Like I could doubt it,” Kara huffed. “I came straight here because Vasquez said not to go after you yet. She said you were basically running it like an op.”

 

“Normally, she has a good sense for those things. I would’ve welcomed the assist way earlier this time, but I couldn’t take my attention away to send you another message. It could’ve given the opening they needed.” Alex reached out to squeeze her arm, leading her the rest of the way back to Vasquez.

 

“I’m glad neither of you got shot much,” Kara offered with a crooked smile.

 

“Me too. And this drive could be worth it, if it has real intel on it.”

 

“Ma’am, we have an ID on your dead contact.” Vasquez gestured to a screen displaying a photo of the man who’d died in front of her not an hour before. His green eyes were clear and content, a sharp contrast to the conflict she’d seen in them in the alley. “Andy Drakon, 28, UCLA grad who seems to have done nothing since. On paper, at least. He has no official job history, but his bank records show bi-weekly payments of a very healthy amount. We’re working on tracking that company, but so far it’s a brick wall. Fake inside of fake.”

 

“What did he major in?” Alex asked.

 

“Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics.”

 

“Of course. What else?”

 

“No vehicle, no cell phone, so I assume one or both were provided by the mystery employer. He rented an apartment across town.”

 

“We need to search it. Fast. Before they do.”

 

“I’ll go,” Kara volunteered immediately.

 

“Not alone,” Alex shot back just as quickly.

 

“You’re not field cleared yet.”

 

“I’m aware. Vasquez will scramble a team. We don’t know what we’re up against here; I’m not sending anyone in alone.”

 

“She’s right, Kara,” J’onn cut in. “We’ll have a team ready in a few minutes. Why don’t you walk your sister to her lab in the meantime?”

 

“The drive is there, ma’am, clean and ready for you. I’ll get an earpiece set up for you to listen in if you’d like.”

 

“That’d be great, Vasquez. Thanks.” Kara was already heading for the lab, but as Alex turned to follow, J’onn stopped her.

 

“You’ve figured something out.” He folded his arms, studying her intently.

 

“Maybe,” Alex allowed. “Still just a theory, nothing to back it up yet. I want to see what’s on the drive and maybe find something to back up my thoughts before I share.” J’onn nodded.

 

“Keep me in the loop.”

 

“Always.” Finding Kara waiting for her, Alex reached for her hand and squeezed it as they headed for the lab.

 

“What happened out there? I thought you guys were going out for one beer, and suddenly you’re getting chased across buildings by heavily armed mercenaries.”

 

“Yeah, so. You remember when you called earlier and gave me advice about one thing at a time and waiting for things to calm down?”

 

“Oh, Alex, no.”

 

“Alex, yes,” she sighed, giving Kara a rundown of the evening up until the point Andy Drakon had surprised her in the alley.

 

“Wait,” Kara interrupted, frowning deeply. “I don’t understand why Maggie let you go out there alone.” Alex stilled, frown mirroring her sister’s.

 

“It’s not her fault, and she didn’t ‘let’ me do anything, Kara. You do realize you two aren’t actually my designated bodyguards, right? I don’t need permission to step outside.”

 

“No, Alex, I didn’t mean it like that.”

 

“Yes, you did.” Kara hung her head, but Alex continued. “I know you’re still scared, and I get it, Kara, I honestly do. But I’m a capable adult and I can’t live in fear like that. If I want to be alone, whether it’s for 5 minutes or 5 nights, I get to do that. Hell, if I hadn’t been out there alone, he probably wouldn’t have approached me, I wouldn’t have gotten the drive, and he still probably would’ve ended up dead.”

 

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to smother you.”

 

“I know you’re not. That would be counter-productive.” When that garnered a small smile, Alex pressed on with recapping the night, ending with, “And then you swooped in to save the day, and now we’re here.”

 

“And I just let those guys go,” Kara sighed.

 

“We had more pressing concerns. Besides, Vasquez contacted PD to go round them up.”

 

“Instead of bringing them in here so we could question them?”

 

“They appeared to be human; PD makes more sense. We can still question them.”

 

A knock at the door drew both of their gazes.

 

“Supergirl, your team is on their way.”

 

“Guess that’s my cue.” With a quick hug for Alex, Kara was out the door, and Alex turned her attention to the flash drive.

 

“You know you still need to give me your report about the evening, correct?”

 

“Please tell me it can wait until tomorrow,” Alex groaned.

 

“It can wait until tomorrow,” J’onn replied, laughing. Alex shook her head, wincing slightly at the movement, as she started sorting through the few files on the drive.

 

“Headache?” J’onn questioned.

 

“Yeah,” Alex admitted, seeing no reason to try to hide it.

 

“Did you get hit in the head during the fight?”

 

“No that I can- oh.”

 

“Oh, what?” J’onn questioned, his tone telling her he already suspected he wouldn’t like her answer.

 

“I may have headbutted the guy I was fighting,” Alex replied, studiously keeping her eyes on her screen.

 

“Alex!” When she said nothing further, he sighed heavily. “You know you shouldn’t be inviting further head injuries when you just had a concussion a few days ago.”

 

“My medical history wasn’t exactly my first concern right then, J’onn. He had me pinned to the ground.”

 

“Fair enough. Just pay attention and get checked out again if that headache gets severe.”

 

“I will,” Alex promised, biting back the urge to note that she was the medical professional in the room. She barely registered him stepping out for a phone call a few minutes later, now fully engrossed in reading what she could. Drakon hadn’t lied; the files were heavily redacted, but there was enough to start filling in some of the blanks.

 

“Alex.” She jumped at the voice close to her side, spinning to see J’onn watching her. “That drive must be useful. I said your name four times.”

 

“Sorry, and yes, it is. What’s up?”

 

“Maggie just gave me her report on the events,” he started.

 

“You said I could wait for tomorrow!” Alex protested.

 

“And you can, but I need to clarify one thing now. NCPD says they found dead bodies.”

 

“Not unexpected. I shot one in the back from almost point blank range, and Maggie probably got another couple when she fired down the ladder.”

 

“So 3 dead at most, by your estimation?”

 

“I don’t know what happened on her side of the fight at the end, but she doesn’t tend to shoot to kill unless she has no option.”

 

“PD has 7 dead bodies, Alex.”

 

“What? No, we didn’t-” she cut herself off, thinking back to the end. “Right after Kara got there, the lead called for backup.”

 

“And instead of getting help, he got a bullet. His whole team did,” J’onn concluded. “How does that fit in with the theory you’re working on?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Alex admitted. “We need to know everything PD does about them.”

 

“Good thing we’ve got someone who can help with that. She’ll be down here in a minute, by the way.” Alex watched him walk out, listening to Kara give directions to the team as they arrived at Drakon’s apartment. She felt a smile pulling as Maggie opened the door.

 

“Hey. How was that?”

 

“Good as new. No stitches, nothing broken.” Maggie held out a small bottle of pills, and Alex tilted her head questioningly. “It’s not the strong stuff. It’ll just take the edge off; you can’t focus like you need to right now when you’re in pain, and I know you are.”

 

“Maybe a little,” Alex offered with a grin as she accepted the bottle.

 

“Kinda surprised you’re not up there monitoring the mission.”

 

“I’m keeping an ear on it. Kara probably didn’t even need a team, but took one because I insisted. Vasquez can handle running it; I’ll do more good in here.” She indicated her screen, which Maggie looked at with interest.

 

“I hope that makes any sense at all to you,” she finally said.

 

“It’s starting to.” Alex settled back in to keep reading, aware of Maggie pulling up a seat beside her and Kara’s calm voice in her ear. It wasn’t long before the apartment was declared useless.

 

“If there was anything here, someone else has already gotten to it,” Kara stated.

 

“All right, return to base. Good work,” Vasquez responded. Alex sighed, reaching up to turn down the volume on her earpiece, but not willing to take it out completely until her sister was back. She glanced up briefly when Maggie’s phone rang, but focused on her screen again as the other woman stepped out into the hall.

 

“She’s bringing dinner back. Chinese,” Maggie noted as she stepped back in.

 

“Of course. She’s gotta have potstickers.” When Kara walked in 10 minutes later, she had changed out of her Supergirl uniform and already had a mouthful of her favorite.

 

“Sorry. Got hungry, couldn’t wait.”

 

“You sound so genuinely apologetic,” Maggie joked. Kara just grinned in response as she began handing out food. Alex gestured for her to put her food down near her computer, ignoring the glare she knew she was receiving in response.

 

“You need to eat too, and I’m not leaving until you do.” Alex nodded absently, cracking a small smile when Kara started grumbling under her breath. She tuned out whatever conversation was going on behind her, caught up in her reading.

 

She was beginning to understand exactly why they’d wanted someone with Andy Drakon’s qualifications, and the implications twisted her stomach.

 

She was vaguely aware of one of them speaking to her at some point, but she couldn’t distract herself enough to answer with more than a brief nod, and they fell quiet around her. She wasn’t even sure if they were both still there. Eventually, a soft snore registered, and she realized Maggie must have fallen asleep. Alex blinked and looked back to find the detective sitting on the floor, leaning against a table in a position that didn’t look overly comfortable. Kara was seated next to her, watching Alex intently.

 

“Rejoining the rest of society?” she asked sardonically.

 

“I’m getting somewhere, Kara. Is J’onn still here?”

 

“No, but he said he’d come back whenever you were ready.” Alex nodded and reached for her container, frowning when she took a bite and found it cold. “Don’t make that face. It was nice and hot 5 hours ago.”

 

“What?” Alex turned to find a clock, verifying that it was in fact close to midnight. “Wow. I didn’t realize.”

 

“Yeah, we noticed.”

 

“Like I said, making progress.” Taking another bite, if only to soothe Kara, Alex set the container aside and turned back to her screen. Another hour passed, and Alex’s focus was disturbed by a second snore joining the first. She shifted in her chair, smiling when she saw Kara’s head nestled on Maggie’s shoulder, Maggie’s cheek now resting against Kara’s hair. Alex slowly reached for her phone and snapped a picture, wondering if one or both would kill her for setting it as her background. Standing and stretching cautiously, she sent J’onn a text asking him to come back. She decided to let the others sleep a little longer, knowing J’onn’s entry would wake them both up. Picking up the long-cold container of food, she ate mechanically while fondly watching her two favorite people. They were both about to be upset by what she’d uncovered and she wanted to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

 

It lasted another 10 minutes, as J’onn opening the door startled Kara into awareness, and her sudden movement sent Maggie scrambling. J’onn held his hands up appeasingly.

 

“Didn’t mean to startle anyone.” Kara helped Maggie up before turning her gaze to Alex.

 

“I take it this means you’re ready to share?”

 

“Yeah. Everyone awake enough?”

 

“If you’ve got answers, we are now,” Maggie replied.

 

“You all might want to sit down for this one.” Alex turned back to her computer, pulling up the document she wanted. “All right, so as Drakon warned, this is heavily redacted and doesn’t give nearly enough details for us to start fixing anything, but there’s enough to give us a starting point. For one thing, this is some next level stuff; I don’t know how they did it, but it’s incredible in a really awful way. They took the basics of a prion disease - the most well-known of those being bovine spongiform encephalopathy-”

 

“Wait,” Kara interrupted, brow furrowed. “I’ve heard of that. Isn’t that… Alex, did they give you mad cow disease?” Alex snorted a laugh, and was immediately met with three scowls.

 

“Sorry. I mean, you have to admit the image is a little funny. No? Right, not funny. Maybe later. And no, they didn’t turn me into a mad cow. BSE is just the most recognized example. I don’t know which was the actual basis, but either way it’s been heavily modified.”

 

“If you have a brain disease that the world is aware of, how come the DEO couldn’t diagnose that with all the tests you went through?” Maggie asked. Alex grimaced, anticipating the reaction.

 

“Well, in their naturally occurring form, prion diseases can only be diagnosed by brain biopsy or brain autopsy.”

 

“So cutting out all or some of your brain,” Maggie simplified.

 

“Right. Which tends to be not the best thing for the patient, even when a prion is suspected. We had absolutely no reason to suspect that, so no reason to even consider that course.”

 

“What else?” J’onn pressed, arms folded tightly.

 

“Again, remember that we’re talking about the naturally occurring type, and not whatever mutations they put it through,” Alex stressed.

 

“Oh Rao, this is gonna be bad.”

 

“There’s no treatment or cure for the known prion diseases,” Alex said bluntly.

 

“Shit,” Maggie breathed, closing her eyes.

 

“Alex.” Kara’s voice broke, and in an instant, she was wrapped around her sister. 

 

“Remember, I said for the natural variant. We need to find whatever else Drakon was going to give me. He said it’s reversible, but at the moment, I have no idea how. I went through every file on that drive twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything. They took me somewhere, but where, exactly, is redacted. There’s a bit about what they modified the prion with, but not enough to make sense and not enough to reverse it. I don’t know why, either. This isn’t just a random freakshow science experiment; I know they picked me for a reason, but I don’t know what that reason is.”

 

“We’re going to figure it out,” Kara said fiercely as she finally stepped away.

 

“My only other immediate question: who are they?” J’onn asked, looking at Alex intently.

 

“I had a working theory earlier and I think it’s safe to say it’s confirmed. The documents don’t ever directly say it, but I’ve seen this kind of stuff before. Not with prion diseases, of course, but everything about it was familiar.” Alex hesitated; putting it out there would make it feel too real, bring up too many old ghosts.

 

“Cadmus,” J’onn deduced when she was quiet too long. Maggie’s eyes widened; Kara buried her face in her hands. Alex took a steadying breath.

 

“Yeah. We’re dealing with Cadmus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun DUUUN. Lillian Luthor reappearing on the show a few weeks back was good timing for me. Who had money on Cadmus? And did anyone Google the Ismenian at any point to see where their name originated?
> 
> Also, new tags added for the hand-wavey science here. Prion diseases/TSEs are very real (and very scary in my book) and the info Alex gives about them is legit. The Cadmus warping of them is where it gets dubious, but the show itself has utilized some pretty hand-wavey science, so I'm ok with it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another weekend comes and goes, Alex still has a funky brain and she's gonna use it whether the others like it or not.
> 
> Lyrics - Brandi Carlile, In My Own Eyes

_ Something's wrong, awake all night _

_ 'Cause I can feel the dark side closing in on me _

_ Do you see me as I see myself _

_ I promise there's a downside, something you can't see  _

_ about me _

 

\--------------

 

An hour later saw Alex, Kara, and Maggie all back at Alex’s apartment, all too anxious to consider sleep yet despite the late hour. With a frowning Kara watching, Alex poured herself a generous glass of whiskey. She shot her a challenging look as she put the bottle away, and when Kara said nothing, Alex’s shoulders relaxed slightly. Maggie took in the silent exchange from where she’d curled up against the arm of the couch.

 

“Drakon’s the key, but Cadmus obviously knows that even better than we do,” Alex mused, pacing the length of her kitchen. “And they’ve got a head start; we need to figure out how to get in front of them.”

 

“Any idea how we go about doing that?” Kara asked.

 

“Vasquez is tracking down every possible connection now. Winn will be on it as soon as he gets there in the morning. Problem is, whatever we may find, Cadmus probably already knows.”

 

“Maybe we need to slow them down,” Kara said thoughtfully.

 

“Distraction? That could work. Of course, that means we also have to find them.”

 

“Oh, trust me, I’d love nothing more than to find them,” Kara growled.

 

“If we can do that, we should be able to find more on what they did to me. And why.”

 

“Do you think…” Kara trailed off, biting her lip uncertainly, and Alex finally stopped pacing, coming to a rest in front of her and silently encouraging her to continue. “Is it because of me, Alex? Lillian’s been after me for years, she knows that you’re everything to me. What if that’s why?”

 

“I don’t think that’s it,” Alex said softly, reaching out with her good hand to squeeze Kara’s arm. “At least, not all of it. If they were targeting you individually, why not draw you out while they had me?”

 

“That makes sense,” Kara admitted, still worrying at her lip.  “I just can’t help wondering.”

 

“I know.” Alex took a long sip of her drink, staring into the glass as she sorted her thoughts. “We’re missing something. They knew about the Ismenians.”

 

“What? How do you know that?”

 

“They mentioned the hole in my shoulder, more than once I think. So they know what happened at the warehouse.”

 

“Are you sure there’s no other way for them to know? Did they see your sling?”

 

“Probably, but a sling isn’t enough to tell them that. They knew.” Alex resumed her pacing until something finally clicked for her. “Maggie, your theory from the hospital.” 

 

“Umm.” The detective blinked sleepily, looking like she’d been about to doze off again. 

 

“You thought the warehouse was a trap for the Ismenians, not us,” Alex prompted, leading Maggie to sit up straighter, squinting thoughtfully.

 

“Yes. So... Cadmus pushed them to move knowing we’d be there. Expecting you’d be there, to be more specific. What were they looking to accomplish?”

 

“The golden question,” Alex sighed, swirling what was left in her glass. “They did some kind of experiment and this was their way of looking at initial results. But nothing out of the ordinary happened; what could they have gotten out of it?”

 

“Nothing out of the ordinary?” Kara repeated, gaping.

 

“In terms of me and how I acted,” Alex clarified. “Obviously, the ending was abnormal. But there was nothing like… nothing like what happened when J’onn tried to read my mind.”

 

“There’s a blank period of time in there,” Maggie pointed out. “Maybe something did happen.”

 

“Yeah.” Alex murmured, finishing her glass and leaning dejectedly against the kitchen counter.

 

“Why don’t we all get some rest and pick this back up tomorrow?” Maggie suggested.

 

“Good idea,” Kara agreed immediately, turning worried eyes to Alex, who nodded wordlessly.

 

“Dibs on the couch,” Maggie called out with a grin.

 

“Are you sure? You are the one who got shot today,” Alex protested.

 

“Barely. I’m sure, Danvers. Your couch is more comfortable than some beds I’ve slept in.”

 

“Kara, will you-”

 

“Blankets and PJs, got it!” In the blink of an eye, Kara was gone and back again, giving the items to Maggie as she gave her a hand getting up from the couch. Alex just smiled, linking arms with Kara to head for her room while Maggie moved down the hall to the bathroom.

 

“Make yourself useful since you’re hovering. Help me with the sling and a change.”

 

“I’m not hovering. If I was, my feet wouldn’t be on the ground,” Kara pointed out sensibly. Alex groaned.

 

“And you two say I make the bad jokes…” Kara grinned as she grabbed a shirt for Alex to change into.

 

“You do. They’re the worst.” They fell comfortably quiet as she eased the sling off before gently unbuttoning the shirt and slipping it off. A sharp intake of breath had Alex looking at her sister questioningly. “That didn’t look like that before, did it?” Alex glanced down and immediately caught sight of the dark bruising on her shoulder.

 

“I guess that depends on what you define as before,” she hedged, earning a glare.

 

“Before yesterday afternoon.”

 

“Christ, Danvers, what beat the shit out of you?” Maggie stood in the doorway, eyes locked on the bruises.

 

“Um, excuse me, but I beat the shit out of him. This was the only hit he landed in that fight,” Alex protested.

 

“At least tell me you got it checked out,” Kara requested.

 

“I would, but you make that sad face when I lie to you,” Alex countered, eliciting said sad face.

 

“I do not!”

 

“You really do, though.”

 

“Take it down a notch with the sister squabble. Good news is, you’re both right. Kara, you definitely do make the sad face. And Alex, you really should have gotten that checked out.” As if just realizing that she was staring at Alex in her bra, Maggie flushed slightly and averted her eyes. “I’ll, uh, let you finish changing.” Kara quirked an eyebrow as Maggie backtracked out.

 

“Nope. Not right now. Just help me get ready for bed.”

 

“You really should get that looked at,” Kara sighed, running a gentle finger around the edge of the bruise.

 

“It’s fine, I promise. It didn’t aggravate anything, other than you, apparently.”

 

“See?” Kara snorted. “There you go with the bad jokes again.”

 

“I thought it was pretty clever.”

 

“You would.” After buttoning the sleep shirt, Kara assisted Alex through a set of exercises to keep her wrist and elbow conditioned before putting the sling back on. Once that was done, she left her hands loosely on her sister’s shoulders and studied her critically.

 

“You’re planning something, aren’t you?”

 

“I’m weighing some possibilities, yes,” Alex hedged.

 

“Is it something I’m gonna hate?”

 

“It’s something I need to talk to J’onn about first.”

 

“Not fair,” Kara whined.

 

“I promise I won’t keep you in the dark. But this could impact the whole DEO.”

 

With another emphatic pout, Kara changed into her own pajamas, grabbed a fresh ice pack, and killed all the lights in the apartment, returning before Alex was even fully in bed.

 

“Gonna be able to sleep tonight?” Kara asked as she settled in next to her sister.

 

“Hope so. I’m pretty tired now that the excitement has worn off,” she murmured as she let her eyes slip shut.

 

“Alex?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I’m scared.” Alex opened her eyes, searching her face the best she could in the darkness.

 

“Hey, it’s ok. I am too,” she admitted.

 

“You’re never scared,” Kara argued.

 

“Bullshit.”

 

“Ok, fine - you’re never scared except for when it’s me or Maggie in trouble.”

 

“That does account for about 90% of the things that scare me,” Alex agreed. “And I’m afraid whatever’s going on is a very real threat to you. You said it yourself, Cadmus has been after you for years. But even beyond that, I’m scared. Being a field agent is important and I plan to do that until I physically can’t anymore, but my heart is still in the lab, and right now it feels like my own brain is a ticking time bomb. In my time at the DEO, I’ve considered the possibilities of living with some kind of major physical injury, and more than once thought it was going to become my reality. But I’ve never even thought about…” she hesitated, searching for words, finding them easier when Kara’s hand came to rest on her cheek. “I’ve never considered what it would be like if I couldn’t trust my own mind.”

 

“I’ll never not trust it,” Kara said softly.

 

“Yeah, and that worries me too. Unless we get this figured out and reversed, you need to-”

 

“No,” Kara cut in sharply. “You’re my sister. You’re the most constant thing in my life, my true north. It’s not ‘unless’ we fix this, just until we do. And either way? I refuse to look at you with distrust or whatever else you were about to suggest.”

 

“I had a feeling you’d say something like that, and that scares me too,” Alex whispered. “But you’re my constant just as much. I just need to know that, whatever happens, you won’t let me be the thing that destroys you.”

 

“There’s no Supergirl without Agent Danvers, remember?”

 

“It’s not Supergirl I’m worried about right now. Just my little sister.”

 

“Well, sorry, but I’m not sure there’s much of a Kara Danvers without Alex Danvers either.”

 

“Why are you so stubborn?”

 

“Learned from the best. And Alex, I hope you never doubt that you really are the best thing that could’ve happened to me on this planet.”

 

“So are you. Always.”

 

“I love you. Now get some sleep.” Kara wrapped a cautious arm around her, running a hand lightly through her hair until Alex drifted off. She slept fitfully, vague nightmares waking her up every so often, but Kara right there to soothe her back to sleep.

 

In the morning, she woke with a start, heart pounding, but this time it wasn’t Kara at her side.

 

“Easy, Danvers, you’re ok. Breathe.” Maggie sat on the edge of the bed, hands held out calmingly. Alex blinked in confusion and looked around her, trying to clear her mind of the path of destruction the last nightmare had left. “She’s out at a structure fire,” Maggie offered, immediately understanding what Alex was searching for.

 

“Oh. What time is it?” She cringed at the wobble in her voice, but Maggie took it in stride.

 

“Little after 8. I was about to make some breakfast when I heard you. Sorry if I overstepped.” Maggie shifted, suddenly unsure, and Alex shook her head quickly.

 

“No, not at all. Nightmares kinda suck.” Yawning, she scooted to the other edge of the bed. “I need a shower, but I’ll take you up on breakfast. If you’re offering.”

 

“Absolutely. Eggs, bacon, coffee, and toast, coming up.” Alex made her way to the bathroom and struggled through a clumsy shower, still favoring her left arm, but reluctant to admit how much it was hurting anew after the previous day’s fight. When she finally made it to the kitchen, she could feel the heavy weight of Maggie’s gaze without even looking at her.

 

“I was starting to think breakfast might get cold,” she mentioned, trying to sound nonchalant as she handed over a plate.

 

“Yeah, well, this situation,” Alex shifted her sling for emphasis, “makes that whole process slower.”

 

“Right. How is your shoulder feeling?” Maggie asked, still watching her closely.

 

“Fine. How’s your side?”

 

“Fine too.”

 

“Good, glad to hear that.” They stared at each other for a long moment before a fit of laughter erupted.

 

“Ridiculous. Both of us,” Maggie huffed as she started cleaning up. Alex grinned.

 

“Least you can admit it.”

 

“Never been much for denial,” Maggie replied evenly. “Kara said she’d meet us at the DEO, so whenever you’re ready.”

 

“Just need to grab a few things and I’m good.” Instead of moving to collect what she needed, Alex found herself rooted in place, watching Maggie in her kitchen and reveling in how normal, how right, it still felt. The chirping of her phone from her bedroom finally drew her away. 

 

“Everything ok?” Maggie asked when she emerged a few moments later.

 

“Just J’onn, feeling the need to remind me that I still owe him my report about yesterday. Like he actually thinks I’m going to forget.” Alex sighed; she and J’onn had a lot to talk about, and as much as she hated reports, that was going to be the easy part. 

 

“To be fair, you do get pretty… focused, when something has your attention. And there are at least 4 other things that could have that right now.”

 

“Good thing he knows that part, too, because I’m getting an update from Winn and doing some game-planning before I go see J’onn. Also, Kara says the fire she put out was at a cafe, so she’s bringing us lattes.” 

 

“Being friends with Supergirl comes with perks,” Maggie joked, following Alex out to the elevator.

 

“I guess it has its moments,” Alex replied with a laugh. Comfortable silence settled until after they were in Maggie’s car and on the way to the DEO.

 

“So, your nightmares are back,” Maggie ventured.

 

“Seems Dr. Hamilton’s drugs were the only thing keeping them away.”

 

“You wanna talk about it?”

 

“Not yet.” To her relief, Maggie nodded.

 

“Let me know when that changes.”

 

“I will,” Alex promised softly. “You said Kara’s meeting us at the DEO?” Maggie shot her a knowing look.

 

“I did. You know you can just text your sister if you’re worried.”

 

“Of course, but she’s… putting out fires and whatnot.”

 

“That was an hour ago. She sent you that text about lattes after it was handled. She’s probably just patrolling now until we get to work. Besides, you know she’ll drop everything for you.”

 

“I do know that,” Alex said heavily. Maggie frowned, clearly seeking an explanation, but Alex simply stared ahead, unwilling to revisit that conversation with anyone else just yet. To her relief, Maggie let it go without comment.

 

As anticipated, Kara was on the balcony and striding into the building as soon as Alex and Maggie passed through security. She all but flew to Alex’s side, wrapping her in a warm hug. Maggie diverted to the desk where two lattes were waiting, sipping from one as she passed the other to Alex, who smiled gratefully.

 

“Hi. Busy morning?” Alex prompted once she and Kara separated. 

 

“Not bad. That fire was the only big thing. Figured I’d better put in some patrol time while I was already out there, though. I’ve been slacking on that lately.” Alex studied her expression, taking in the guilt and concern she was certain was reflected back in her own.

 

“Yeah, sorry I’ve been keeping you distracted.”

 

“Hey, no, you’re never a distraction,” Kara said sternly. Alex smiled before moving to a safer subject.

 

“Going to CatCo today?”

 

“Yeah, I told James I’d be in before the editorial meeting at 10.”

 

“I appreciate how understanding he is about your schedule the last few weeks,” Alex noted, heading for the control room.

 

“Schedule or lack thereof,” Kara added flippantly. “But he cares. He’d be here too if he thought he could help at all. But he knows the best thing he can do for us is to let me do what I need to, so here we are.”

 

“Here we are,” Alex echoed with a smile, coming to a stop by Winn’s desk. “What do you have for me?”

 

“A whole lot of not much,” he replied, sounding frustrated. “This guy pretty much let Cadmus run his life from the looks of it. The apartment and bank account are literally all that he had in his name. No safe deposit box, no library card, no storage unit - not even a Netflix account.”

 

“Wait, what? How does a person live like that?” Kara gasped.

 

“I know Netflix is important to you, but I’m not sure that’s the key takeaway here,” Alex pointed out.

 

“I dunno, you can learn a lot from a person’s Netflix.”

 

“True. Remember when it suggested you’d like Gory Canadian Revenge Thrillers from the 1980’s?”

 

“Yes. It was wrong. I did not like any of them.”

 

“And yet you watched them.”

 

“I can’t say no to Netflix,” Kara admitted.

 

“It thought I would like inspiring sports films based on real life,” Winn offered. “I’m not even much of a sports fan, but damn if they weren’t inspiring.”

 

“See? We’re learning things already.”

 

“Not helpful things,” Alex argued. “Any unusual payments to or from his bank account? A storage unit under a fake name? Anything remotely useful?”

 

“He went to the same deli for lunch at least twice a week.”

 

“Thank you! Now that could be useful.” Alex looked around for Maggie, spotting her across the room, talking to one of the newest field agents. “Sawyer!” Maggie wrapped up her conversation and moved to join the trio.

 

“Got something for me, Danvers?”

 

“I’m hoping you have something for me. Or can get it, anyway. Winn found a deli Drakon went to regularly; think someone can go ask the right questions?”

 

“Definitely, I’ll make a call. Do we need anything else while I’m at it?”

 

“An update on the dead guys. And I assume PD is already in the process of finding next of kin?”

 

“Right. I’ll see what we’ve got.”

 

“Thanks, Maggie. Winn, keep digging into his financials, and any online presence you may be able to find. Cadmus swept him up pretty quick out of school, but he still must have had a life outside of that.”

 

“Yeah, that does seem to be the case for young geniuses recruited from college into shadowy secretive agencies.” Alex narrowed her eyes, and Winn swallowed thickly. “That is to say, uh, I’m on it. Right now.”

 

“You do that,” Alex replied drily. She turned to find Kara trying - and failing - to hide a grin behind her hand. “Don’t you have some reporting to do?”

 

“Not for another 36 minutes. Plenty of time. You, on the other hand…”

 

“Believe me, I know. J’onn is my next stop.” With a shove to her sister’s shoulder, Alex headed for J’onn’s office. When she tapped on his door frame, he looked up with a warm smile.

 

“Come in, Alex. How are things this morning?”

 

“Things are… uh…” Alex flailed her hand helplessly, uncertainly, and J’onn took pity on her.

 

“Yeah, seems about right.” Sighing in relief, she flopped into the chair across from him. “First things first, how’s your head? And your shoulder?”

 

“No worse than yesterday.”

 

“How reassuring.”

 

“But truthful.”

 

“We can revisit the topic. Tell me about the incident yesterday.” Making herself comfortable, Alex gave him a full rundown. J’onn listened intently, interrupting only to ask clarifying questions. When she was finished, he leaned back in his chair, silently thinking it over. “So, we assume their initial intent was merely to get to Drakon, and you - and, by association, Detective Sawyer - only caught their interest because of the visible exchange of data.”

 

“Correct.”

 

“Meaning they aren’t actively following you.”

 

“Hard to say. They knew about what happened at the warehouse, but I don’t know exactly how they knew.” J’onn frowned.

 

“I don’t like that.”

 

“There’s a lot I don’t like here,” Alex replied. “Which is the other thing I need to talk to you about.” J’onn tilted his head curiously.

 

“I’m listening.”

 

“I think you should put me on administrative leave. Effective immediately.” J’onn simply stared at her for a long, silent moment, and when she only stared back, he blinked and ran a hand down his face.

 

“Why on Earth would I do that, Agent Danvers? In the midst of everything happening right now, how is it beneficial to me to put one of the greatest assets this agency has ever had out of commission?”

 

“It makes sense when she’s also just become one of this agency’s greatest threats,” Alex answered calmly.

 

“You don’t know that. You’re far and away the most qualified person to figure this out. If I cut you off, who’s going to be able to fill that position and sort through what’s happening?”

 

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t still be working on it, just not here. Not where I have access to almost everything Cadmus could possibly want. Not where I can do so much damage.”

 

“Alex, you haven’t done anything yet.”

 

“Other than knocking out the Martian Manhunter with some kind of psychic shielding ability I don’t even know about, you mean.” J’onn winced, ceding the point.

 

“Yes, and that was a lesson learned.”

 

“Lesson being, my brain is dangerous. We just don’t know to what extent yet.” Groaning, J’onn dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling.

 

“I have faith in you, no matter what,” he said quietly.

 

“Kara said almost the same thing last night.”

 

“And even that’s not enough for you?” J’onn straightened up, making eye contact again.

 

“Not against this. This is Cadmus, and this is Kara and you, and me in the perfect position to-” she cut herself off, remembering the things that had kept her awake in the night. “I can’t take that risk.”

 

“I understand your concerns, Alex, but we can find a way. Cutting you out isn’t the solution.”

 

“Have you forgotten what happened the last time Cadmus got their hands on a member of the Danvers family and we just let them waltz back in?” Alex demanded.

 

“No, I haven’t. Do you recall that it was the Danvers sitting in front of me who figured that out in time to stop them?”

 

“That’s a vast oversimplification.”

 

“The point stands. I’m just asking you to think about what you’re asking of me. I know how you operate; you think nothing of putting it all on the line when you think it’s warranted to protect what matters most.” Alex let her eyes drift to the window, to where Kara was still talking to Winn, to where Maggie was still immersed in a heated phone call. Then she looked back to J’onn, who was watching her knowingly.

 

“I have thought about it. You know me well enough to know that, too.”

 

“Have you discussed this with Kara or Maggie?”

 

“No. Not yet.” J’onn hummed.

 

“Going with the old easier to ask forgiveness approach.” Alex finally cracked a smile.

 

“Something like that.”

 

“What happens if I decide not to place you on leave?”

 

“I could take a page from Sawyer’s playbook, use up all the PTO I haven’t touched in ages. But that doesn’t solve the issue of me having access to literally everything.”

 

“It does if I manually restrict your access down to, say, recruit level.” Alex scoffed, and J’onn rolled his eyes in response. “Being put on administrative leave is a permanent mark on your record, regardless of why.”

 

“I fully expect to retire long before you do, J’onn. I’m not exactly angling for a future director promotion.”

 

“Has anyone mentioned to you lately just how stubborn you are?”

 

“It’s one of my finer qualities.”

 

“We are each going to take the day to think about this. Cooler heads, no firefight adrenaline, no brain-eating discoveries. I’ll weigh your concerns, you consider mine, and we’ll see what we come up with together.”

 

“Fine. But it’s not brain-eating; that’s a totally different pathogen.”

 

“See, I need you around to correct me on the important details.”

 

“I’ll be sure to factor that in. Did you already update Dr. Hamilton on what we found?”

 

“Yes, and she’s very interested in seeing your work.”

 

“I’ll send her a copy,” Alex promised as she stood up. She looked back out to where Kara and Maggie were now both leaning over Winn’s shoulders, peering at something on his screen. “You know, we all agreed yesterday that we wouldn’t share the whole prion disease thing with anyone else aside from Dr. Hamilton, but Maggie and I placed bets on how long before Kara can’t keep herself from telling Winn.”

 

“Is that so?” J’onn asked, coming to stand beside her.

 

“Oh yeah. You know she’s terrible with secrets, but if she at least lets him in she’s usually better.”

 

“True. Which is why Dr. Hamilton and I have a bet on the same thing,” he whispered conspiratorially. Alex widened her eyes when she looked back to him.

 

“Director, I’m scandalized!”

 

“I learned that art from you, Agent Danvers.”

 

“I’ll deny that if anyone asks. But Kara is about to leave for CatCo, so I’m going to go say goodbye. Thanks for listening, J’onn.”

 

“Anytime. We’ll talk again tomorrow.” With a nod, Alex slipped out the door.

 

“That was a long meeting,” Kara noted as she rejoined them.

 

“We had a lot to talk about,” was all Alex offered in response. Kara looked suspicious, but accepted it with a nod.

 

“I’m about to be late, but I didn’t want to leave without another hug.” At that, she closed the remaining distance and wrapped her arms around Alex, who returned the squeeze with her free arm. Eventually, Kara released her grip and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I needed that. And now I’m off. Don’t think you’re going to keep this from me much longer,” she warned quietly before turning and taking flight.

 

“She was trying very hard not to eavesdrop,” Maggie volunteered, “I think she mostly succeeded.” Alex shook her head fondly.

 

“Your team come through with anything?”

 

“Big time. First of all, half our guys from the ambush yesterday? Aliens. Shapeshifters.”

 

“The rest were human though?”

 

“Yes. They’re sending over everything they’ve got. But more than that, we’ve got an ID and a location on Andy Drakon’s only known relative: his mother.”

 

“Really? Where?”

 

“She lives about two hours away, assuming traffic doesn’t suck.” Alex’s eyes darted to the clock, and then back to Maggie.

 

“Two hours is nothing,” she stated casually, quirking an eyebrow.

 

“It’s basically a lunch run,” Maggie agreed easily, her eyes sparkling. Alex nodded with a soft smile.

 

“All right then. Let’s go on a road trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> J'onn's been feeling kinda left out; he needed a bonding moment with his favorite girl. Who's right in their disagreement, him or Alex?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long weekend at work didn't leave much time for finishing this chapter. But here we are! Prepare for Henry.
> 
> Lyrics - Hurt, Better

_It stings to remind you of all that's behind you,_

_But I don't wanna lose you right now._

_Cause they say it gets better right before it gets worse._

_You know it gets better so of course it gets worse._

 

\--------------

 

After catching J’onn up on their plan and filling out the appropriate forms to requisition a vehicle for the day, Alex and Maggie were on the road, Maggie behind the wheel. They drove in companionable quiet for a while, radio the only sound, until eventually Maggie cleared her throat.

 

“Hey. Tell me something.” Lost in thought, it took Alex a moment to process the request.

 

“Oh, uh, sure. What do you want to know?”

 

“Nothing in particular. Literally, just tell me something.” Alex’s eyebrows pinched in confusion, and Maggie laughed softly. “I still know you, Danvers. I know when all the noise up there is getting to be overwhelming. Tell me something that’s on your mind right now. Whatever you want.”

 

Alex hesitated for a moment, sorting herself out. Starting small seemed logical, so she opened her mouth intending to muse about the slaughtered Cadmus operatives.

 

“I just keep wondering if there’s any possibility my father was involved in this thing they put in my head,” was what came out instead. Alex blinked.

 

“You look surprised,” Maggie offered after a lengthy silence. She took advantage of a stop sign, turning her whole upper body to study Alex’s profile more intently.

 

“I… yeah. That’s been at the back of my mind since we found out what this is. I just haven’t had time to really think it through yet, so…” she trailed off with a small shrug.

 

“So you were just going to repress the hell out of it and deal with on your own?” Maggie finished wryly.

 

“Something like that. Just add whiskey.” Maggie rolled her eyes, getting the car moving again when another vehicle started honking in frustration.

 

“You are so hardheaded.”

 

“Not for long. My brain is literally turning into a sponge, you know.”

 

“Oh my god, Danvers, seriously?”

 

“...sorry.”

 

“You’re absolutely not,” Maggie huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s maddening. Aside from which, that awful joke doesn’t even make sense. Your skull is still hard as ever.”

 

“Fair enough,” Alex allowed, trying to hide a smile.

 

“Getting back to the point, do you really think that’s a possibility? Your father being involved?”

 

“I don’t know. There are a lot of things I used to think he’d never be capable of doing, and I turned out to be wrong.”

 

“You think he’s still working with Cadmus?”

 

“I don’t know that either,” Alex said, frustrated. “We’ve seen and heard nothing since the Exodus ship. I actually think Lillian Luthor was telling the truth when she said she didn’t know where he was, but that was almost two years ago.”

 

“If he was involved in creating this, I don’t think he’d have done it if he had any reason to think it would be used on you.”

 

“Creating it for use on anyone isn’t ok. It’s not something a good person would do.”

 

“I obviously don’t really know him, but Alex, if he’s half the man you always thought he was-”

 

“That’s just it, though,” Alex cut in. “I don’t know what kind of man he actually is. He’s been gone half my life. I don’t know if he’s involved or not; part of me almost doesn’t want to know. And I’m under no illusion that we’ll get any answers about him through this. I just can’t help but wonder anyway.”

 

“I know.” Maggie reached over to squeeze her hand briefly. “Just don’t forget that you can talk to me, or Kara if that’s better.” Alex gave a shaky nod, relieved when Maggie understood that she’d reached the limit on discussing her father. “What else is going on up there?”

 

“The guys that were after us. Cadmus killed them all. Why?”

 

“They failed their mission,” Maggie suggested.

 

“Yeah, but that still doesn’t really seem like their usual style. They don’t throw away resources, they repurpose them.” The word left a distinct bitterness in Alex’s mouth, and she shifted uncomfortably.

 

“Not aliens. They’re disposable.”

 

“So these guys were just hired guns, not actual Cadmus operatives. They took a contract to eliminate Drakon and recover any information he had. That’s an awful lot of firepower for one scientist with a flash drive,” Alex mused.

 

“Unless they expected he’d seek you out. In that case, it clearly still wasn’t enough.” Alex smirked.

 

“I bet they had no idea who else they’d be dealing with if they came after me.”

 

“If they did and they still took the job, they’re idiots. Not enough money in the world for that kind of risk. I don’t think there’s any deeper angle on these guys.”

 

“Agreed.” Alex stretched as much as she could in her seat, bringing her hand up to rub her eyes.

 

“We still have at least an hour to go. You could lean that seat back and take a nap.”

 

“That’s just poor road trip etiquette. Shotgun doesn’t go to sleep on the driver.”

 

“Unless driver says it’s ok. I’m pretty sure that’s in the rules.”

 

“I’m fine, Maggie.”

 

“Yeah, and I’m the Queen of England.”

 

“Oh, congratulations on the promotion!” Maggie shot her a sideways glare.

 

“That’s definitely not how crown ascendancy works.”

 

“Too bad. You’d be a wise and benevolent queen.”

 

“Mmhmm. Nice deflection. A power nap would do you some good. I know you didn’t sleep well again last night.” While Maggie didn’t specifically ask, Alex could hear the undercurrent of curiosity about her recurring nightmares. She sighed, turning to look out the window. Maggie didn’t speak again, just humming along to the radio as Alex watched the landscape roll by.

 

“It wasn’t like before,” she finally said quietly, drawing a surprised glance from Maggie. Alex tilted her body slightly, leaning her forehead against the glass. “Especially the last one, the one you woke me up from. That was vivid and I remember it, and it’s everything I’m afraid of right now.” When she stayed silent for a while, Maggie finally spoke.

 

“Alex, not to downplay your feelings at all, but it was a dream. We can still figure things out and keep it from being reality.”

 

“We talked the other day about having things in our head we can’t get rid of. Didn’t realize it was so literal in my case at that point.” Alex smiled sardonically. “But this felt so real. It was Cadmus, using my brain and my body for destruction. They turned me against Kara. Against J’onn. And I knew it was wrong and I hated it but I couldn’t do anything to stop myself. I killed them. The most important person in my life, and not only could I not save her, I was the one responsible for it.” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the images.

 

“Hey.” Maggie’s hand once again reached over, fingers gripping Alex’s. “It’s ok to be scared, and I see why you were so anxious about Kara this morning. But it’s not real and we’re not going to let it be. We will figure this out. We’ll stop them.”

 

“I’m more worried about someone stopping me, if it comes to it. Maggie, Kara’s had to fight me before. She couldn’t do it then, she couldn’t hurt me even if it meant letting me kill her.”

 

“Alex, please. Don’t ask me to do this.”

 

“I need to know that someone’s watching out for her. Protecting her from the one person she should never need to be protected from. Just in case Cadmus wins.” Maggie pulled her hand away, drawing it up to run harshly through her own hair.

 

“That’s not fair. I’m no more capable of killing you than she is, and you know that.” Alex finally opened her eyes and turned from the window.

 

“I do know that, and it’s not what I’m asking of you. Just keep me from hurting her. Maggie, I can’t live with myself if I’m the thing that destroys her.”

 

“Just stop you? You’re kind of unstoppable, Danvers.”

 

“Maybe stock up on some horse tranquilizers?” Alex suggested, trying to cut the tension. When Maggie’s jaw only clenched, she knew it hadn’t helped.  “Look, I know it isn’t fair to put this on you. But Kara can’t do it, and I need someone I can trust. There’s no human I trust more.”

 

“I can promise to do everything I can to keep her safe. But not if it means killing you, Alex. I can’t do that.”

 

“I’m not asking you to kill me. I’m asking you to save me from the possibility of doing the one thing I could never come back from.”

 

“Next time, maybe lead with that, because when you put it that way…” Maggie trailed off on a sigh, shooting Alex a rueful glance.

 

“Noted. And thank you. For the record, I do know that you’d never hurt me intentionally, and I have no plans on dying either. We’ve all been working pretty hard to avoid that the last few weeks and I’d hate to see all that effort go to waste.”

 

“So thoughtful.”

 

“I do try. Regret asking what was on my mind yet?”

 

“After that bombshell?” Maggie gave her another sideways glare, but then sighed in defeat. “No, I don’t. However, I am almost afraid to ask if there’s anything else.”

 

“Nothing as big as that. I do have something to run by you and Kara, but I’d rather do it all at once. I was thinking maybe at dinner tonight.”

 

“Sure. Is this something I should spend my day being anxious about?”

 

“No. J’onn and I disagreed on an approach to our situation and I’d like some other opinions.” Maggie gave her a wary look.

 

“Yeah, I’m gonna err on the side of caution and worry about that all day.”

 

“Sorry, maybe should’ve just sat on that one until later.”

 

“You’re buying lunch today,” Maggie grumbled.

 

“Totally fair,” Alex agreed easily. Maggie snorted, and they settled once more into a comfortable silence. The remaining miles rolled by quickly, and soon Maggie was parking in front of a nondescript gray and blue house on a street full of similar houses. They both paused for a moment to study their surroundings. The large fence around the front yard made Alex wonder about dogs, but with the gate standing open, Maggie unflinchingly led the way to the door.

 

“Can I help you?” An older woman had opened the door only partway and was peering at them suspiciously from the crack.

 

“Are you Brenda Drakon?” Maggie questioned, voice calm.

 

“Yes. You are?”

 

“Detective Sawyer, NCPD, and Agent Danvers, FBI.” Maggie held up her badge while Alex shifted hers to FBI and then offered it up as well.

 

“Least you two have badges, unlike those boys that came earlier,” Brenda muttered after studying both intently. Alex and Maggie exchanged a curious look.

 

“What boys were those?” Maggie asked.

 

“I don’t rightly know. They said they were cops, but wouldn’t show me a badge and didn’t have a nice vehicle like you got out there. Awful impolite, too. Weren’t too happy we wouldn’t let them in.”

 

“We?”

 

“Mmhmm. Henry here has a good eye for people. He didn’t like ‘em, so they didn’t come in. Think they were a bit scared of him, actually.” Brenda finally opened the door wider, but instead of the dog Alex had been expecting, they found themselves stared at by a large bird. Maggie took an involuntary step back.

 

“I’m sorry, is that an emu?”

 

“Sure is.”

 

“Are those… legal?” Alex wondered.

 

“Well I wouldn’t be showing him to a bunch of cops if he wasn’t,” Brenda replied with a grin. “He thinks you’re both ok. You can come in, if you’d like. I assume you’re also here to talk about Andy.”

 

“Uh, yes ma’am, we are.” Keeping a watchful eye on Henry, Maggie followed Brenda into the living room, Alex on their heels. “The guys earlier were also here about your son?”

 

“Yes. They said he’d done some bad things, gotten himself into trouble, and they needed to search his things. Wouldn’t give me any details on what my boy has done or what they were looking for.” Her green eyes - sharp and hopeful and so reminiscent of Eliza, it made Alex’s stomach clench - focused on Maggie. “Please, tell me what’s happened.”

 

“Ma’am, I’m so sorry.” Brenda dropped her head to her hands, shaky voice cutting Maggie off.

 

“He’s gone. My baby, he’s dead, isn’t he?”

 

“Yes,” Maggie confirmed gently, offering a hand. Brenda took it for a long moment until Henry nudged his way in. The older woman wrapped both arms around her emu, burying her face in his chest until her tears slowed.

 

“I knew he was going to get himself in a bind,” she said as she straightened up, wiping both hands across her eyes. Alex located a box of tissues and handed one over, earning a small smile. “He’s been worried for months, but wouldn’t walk away.”

 

“Ma’am, your son was murdered. My partner and I are going to find whoever’s responsible and see to it that they answer for what they’ve done. Anything you can tell us would be helpful.” Brenda looked at them intently, seemingly weighing how much to share. Eventually, her shoulders sagged and she leaned against the back of her couch.

 

“Promise me the bastards will pay?”

 

“Absolutely,” Alex responded before Maggie could say anything, drawing an arched eyebrow.

 

“Good. He’s been working at this fancy, big-money lab for a while. He loved it at first. He’s had a passion for infectious diseases since he was a teenager - I know, it’s odd. It used to trouble me a bit. It started after that big Avian flu outbreak, I think in 2006 or so? It was such a huge, global thing, and he was just fascinated by the news cycle and sequencing and containment… just, all of it. He decided he wanted to do that for a living, he wanted to do good in the world and figure out things like that. And I tell you, he committed himself to it, and he graduated early from high school, went to UCLA, and got hired straight away. He travelled some, I didn’t usually know where to, and got to see the impact, he said.”

 

“When did that start changing?” Maggie asked.

 

“I wish I could tell you. I should’ve noticed, but I just didn’t. The last few months he’s mentioned some ethical concerns, nothing in detail - NDA and all. He was thinking about quitting, but felt like he’d be letting people down. He just wanted to do good.”

 

“Do you know the name or location of this lab?”

 

“No. I feel like a terrible mother, but he just always said he couldn’t tell me.”

 

“You’re not a terrible mother,” Alex said quietly. “My own didn’t even know what I did for the first few years I was doing it, just that I was in a lab myself. I didn’t want her to worry.”

 

“Thank you dear, that helps.” Alex just nodded before sitting back to let Maggie continue the questions. She tuned out, trusting Maggie to navigate that while she studied the inside of the house. She noted numerous pictures of Andy and his mother, but no father or other family visible. She noticed the section of the bookcase dedicated to science books, many of which were on her own shelf as well. She definitely noticed Henry staring at her guardedly.

 

“Agent Danvers?” Alex looked back over to find Maggie watching her curiously. “She said you can look through some of his stuff.”

 

“Does he have a computer or anything like that here?” Alex asked.

 

“His room is right down the hall. Technically a guest room now, but let’s be real. It’ll always be his room.” Brenda buried her face in her hands as the tears started again. Maggie shifted closer, offering support, but nodded for Alex to go see what she could find.

 

When Alex stood up, Henry did as well. She froze, looking back to Maggie, who frowned emphatically and nodded towards the hall again. Holding her hands up, Alex skirted around the bird as much as she could, reminding herself not to run.

 

“Hostile emu is a new one,” she mumbled to herself as she opened the bedroom door. In contrast to the almost-sterile look of his apartment that she’d seen photos of, this room was warm, brown and green and lived in. Her eyes almost immediately fell on a laptop by the window, and she moved to that first. It was, unsurprisingly, password protected, so she plugged in a device Winn had sent along; it may take a bit, he’d warned, but it would copy the entire contents of the hard drive. While the device worked, she looked around the room. There was another full shelf of science books; on a hunch, she started pulling them out one by one and leafing through them briefly. The 8th book she looked at - an obviously well-read copy of Richard Preston’s _The Hot Zone_ \- contained a micro SD card taped to a page halfway through. Cautiously, she pulled the tape off and removed the card.

 

“Well done, Andy,” she offered, glancing at a framed photo of him and Henry as she pocketed the item. No other books held such secrets, so she moved to looking through his desk drawers. By the time Winn’s device beeped, she’d been through every logical place to hide something and had come up empty. She stepped back into the hall, only to be greeted by Henry standing at the door. The emu made a small noise at her before turning back towards the living room. “Yeah, all right. Lead the way.”

 

“I hope Henry was polite,” Brenda said as Alex rejoined them.

 

“Perfect gentleman. Does he always stay in the house?”

 

“Heavens no. He’s on his best behavior right now, but he’s often quite the handful. He’s generally out in the yard, but with those guys earlier, I was worried they’d come back and hurt him to get in.”

 

“Listen, if they show up again, call this number. We’ll get someone out here to help you right away,” Alex promised, holding out a card.

 

“Aren’t you both stationed in National City? No offense, but I’m not sure how that helps.”

 

“We both work there, yes, but we’ve got others we can call on. Someone can get here in the blink of an eye.”

 

“All right,” Brenda agreed, still looking dubious. Alex turned to Maggie with a raised eyebrow, wondering if she was wrapped up with her questioning. At the slight nod, Alex focused on Brenda again.

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, do you know how your son felt about aliens? And alien amnesty?” Brenda tilted her head, eyes narrowed slightly.

 

“Is that relevant?”

 

“Possibly. The kind of big money labs we’re talking about often dabble in politics too. Knowing his stance may help guide us, narrow down some options,” Alex lied smoothly.

 

“I see. Well, I spent years as a history teacher. I understand the value of immigration - economically, politically, and morally. I’ll admit, factoring in aliens these last few years made me question a lot of my feelings, but in the end, I still believe providing sanctuary for those in need is the right thing to do. Andy… his father is a bit more conservative. He thinks Earth as a waypoint is fine, but aliens shouldn’t stay here; help them up but then get them out. I’m afraid he’s influenced Andy in that regard. He’s not virulently anti-alien, but the idea of full unconditional amnesty upset him. I think he sees the good some of them do, like Supergirl down there where you are, but he’s also seen the bad things so many others do.”

 

“Thank you for your honesty.”

 

“Of course. I have a question for you now, if I may?” At Alex’s nod, Brenda took a steadying breath. “Those men earlier today, they said Andy’s done bad things. Do you… is that true?”

 

“That’s hard for me to answer honestly; we haven’t done much looking into his history, but we haven’t turned up anything illegal. What I can tell you is that, before he died, he came to see me. He wanted to help us stop the people he works for, and he knew he was taking a risk talking to me, but he thought it was the right thing to do.”

 

“Is that what got him killed?”

 

“I think the kind of doubts and questions he had were already drawing attention,” Alex hedged, not wanting to say too much. Brenda accepted it, nodding briefly and offering a quiet thank you.

 

“We’re going to head back to National City now, but if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me,” Maggie said, handing over her card.

 

“I will. Thank you both. I know my son has made mistakes, but he’s still a good man. Was. He was a good man,” she corrected, closing her eyes briefly. Maggie reached out to squeeze her wrist.

 

“We’ll keep you updated.”

 

“Bye, Henry. You take care of her,” Alex instructed the emu. Brenda smiled, reaching a hand out to rest on the bird’s back.

 

“He always does.”

 

Once back in their vehicle, Alex immediately pulled her laptop out and inserted Winn’s device.

 

“Did you get something?” Maggie asked.

 

“God, I hope so. Won’t know until this all loads.” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the hidden micro SD she’d discovered. “This was taped to the inside of a book, so I’m hoping that means it’s important.”

 

“Nice find.”

 

“Yeah, we’ll see,” Alex replied, distracted, as she continued working on moving everything over.

 

“Does this mean I’m taking a raincheck on lunch?” Maggie asked a little while later, grinning as Alex jerked her head up.

 

“What? No, we’re definitely still doing that. A promise is a promise and all. What sounds good?”

 

“I’m not sure yet.”

 

“Ok. Whatever catches your eye,” Alex said, attention back on her screen. A few minutes later, she groaned and shut the lid with a curse.

 

“That’s not promising,” Maggie observed.

 

“Everything’s encrypted. Literally, every last thing. I’m gonna need Winn to get through it all before I can do anything.”

 

“If anyone can do it, it’s Winn.”

 

“I don’t doubt that. But even for him, it’s going to take hours with all the data on here. It may be tomorrow before I can actually get into any of it.”

 

“So we need to get it to him ASAP.”

 

“We can still do lunch,” Alex said hesitantly.

 

“Are you sure?” Maggie pressed.

 

“...maybe a drive thru for today, and I’ll make it up to you with a real lunch soon?”

 

“That’s more like it. You’re still buying.”

 

“Of course,” Alex laughed. The next fast food option was Mexican; burritos in hand, they continued the drive back to National City.

 

“I still can’t believe Henry.”

 

“I didn’t even know emus could be house-trained,” Alex agreed.

 

“Kara’s going to be jealous, isn’t she?”

 

“Oh, absolutely.” Silence settled for a few miles before Maggie spoke again.

 

“That never gets easier.”

 

“Emu confrontations?” Alex asked, confused.

 

“No, that was new and fairly easy,” Maggie laughed lightly. “Sorry, should have clarified. Having to be the one to break that news to someone. I’ve done it so many times, but it’s always hard.”

 

“I’ve never been on this side of it. Always agents, never civilians. You were really good with her, Maggie.”

 

“I’m glad you were there. And I appreciate what you said to her, at the end. I’m not so certain Andy Drakon was a good man, but I think she needs to be.”

 

“For her sake, I hope she’s right about him,” Alex agreed, eyeing the laptop.

 

“Yeah. Just think how disappointed Henry will be otherwise.”

 

“I can only imagine how judgemental he can be.” Alex smiled, going along with Maggie’s clear effort to lighten the mood. They fell quiet again, so Alex pulled out her phone and sent Winn a text letting him know what she’d need when they got back. She soon received a string of emojis in response, which she decided to interpret as agreement. She then texted Kara to ask about dinner that night, receiving an almost immediate approval - also filled with emojis. Shaking her head fondly, she tucked the phone away, glancing at Maggie for a moment before turning to take in the landscape again.

 

“Home sweet home,” Alex joked as the DEO came into sight.

 

“You know you don’t actually live here, right?” Maggie teased.

 

“I have my own bed here, so I think it technically counts.”

 

“It’s in a shared bunkroom.”

 

“Right, but it has my name on it.”

 

“Let me guess. No one else dares touch that one, but the rest are fair game?” Alex just grinned smugly, and Maggie rolled her eyes. “Ridiculous.” Parking, Maggie immediately hopped out and stretched.

 

“See? Good to be back.”

 

“Never said it wasn’t! I just hope the trip gave us something to work with.”

 

“You and me both. Would you mind taking this stuff to Winn? I’ll be in soon, I just need to make a quick phone call.”

 

“Sure thing. Tell her I said hi. I mean, if that’s not awkward.” Grabbing the laptop bag, Maggie was on her way in before Alex could respond. She hummed thoughtfully as she pulled up her contact list. It only rang twice before she got an answer.

 

“Alex?”

 

“Hey, Mom. Everything’s ok right now, I just wanted to hear your voice for a minute.” Smiling, Alex leaned against the hood of the car and let her mother’s voice wash over her, bright and proud and hopeful, like Brenda’s eyes had been earlier. When Eliza was done talking about an article she’d been working on, Alex sighed happily. “I can’t wait to read it. I gotta get back to work now, but I just wanted to call and tell you I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super thrilled with the ending, but I can't wrangle it into submission any better at this point, cause I just really wanted to end on an Alex and Eliza note. Eliza's a little upset she hasn't been invited to participate, you know. As always, thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About time we see an old friend... sadly, it's not Henry. Also, I judge Maggie's taste in ice cream.
> 
> Lyrics: Brandi Carlile, Again Today

_ Maybe you could see a better day _

_ And you won't waste away _

_ under my watchful eye _

_ Because I'm your hero and you're my weakness _

 

\--------------

 

Walking into the DEO, Alex immediately caught sign of Maggie, Winn, and J’onn, huddled around a desk with her laptop in front of them. She could hear Winn mumbling to himself.

 

“What’s your take?” she asked as she joined them.

 

“Well, you were right; this is going to take hours. And hours. And then a few more hours on top of that.”

 

“I’m sorry, Winn.”

 

“Know the worst part? I’m not even actively doing anything for most of that. Run the program, sit and wait, repeat.” Maggie bumped his shoulder none too subtly, and he looked up with wide eyes. “I mean, not that I mind, or had literally anything else going on for the rest of the day. Or the rest of eternity.” Alex forced a tight smile, hoping it wouldn’t freak him out even more.

 

“I know it sucks though. It’s ok to say so.” At that, Winn’s shoulders sagged, and he looked at her beseechingly.

 

“Look, Alex, I can’t fly to the rescue, or go punch all of Cadmus in their collective face - I mean, I guess I could try and I would give a valiant effort, but it would probably end badly and then you’d be mad and trust me, no one wants that. Least of all me. But this? This, I can do and I will do, and I will let you know the literal second it’s all done, so that  _ you  _ can go punch all of Cadmus in the face.” Alex smiled, real this time, and leaned in to give him a quick side hug.

 

“I appreciate that. You can use my office if you need to.”

 

“I am going to take you up on that.”

 

“Barring an emergency, that’s your top priority for the rest of the day, Agent Schott,” J’onn instructed.

 

“Understood.” Gathering everything Alex and Maggie had brought in, as well as another laptop, he took off for the peace and quiet of an actual office. J’onn turned his attention to Alex, who immediately picked up on the glint of humor in his eyes.

 

“Detective Sawyer, I believe you owe Agent Danvers.” Maggie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment before rising again in astonishment.

 

“What? No way. Kara already told Winn?”

 

“She came back here for lunch. Sang like a bird,” J’onn confirmed with a smirk.

 

“Which wouldn’t have happened if we’d been here, leading me to believe you rigged the whole thing, Danvers.”

 

“You’re reaching there, Detective.”

 

“Am I? You’re the one who planned the emu road trip.”

 

“The emu was definitely not planned.”

 

“You’re not denying the other part.”

 

“Don’t be a sore loser, Sawyer.” Grumbling, Maggie reached for her wallet and pulled out a $20 bill, earning a sly grin from Alex. “I’ll be sure to hold onto that for that lunch I owe you.”

 

“And I’ll be sure to pick the most expensive place in town,” Maggie fired back.

 

“If you’re both done,” J’onn cut in, “I have some questions about this emu.”

 

“So do we, J’onn. So do we.”

 

An hour later, after getting J’onn up to date on their trip and checking in on Winn one last time, Alex and Maggie called it a day. With brief stops at Maggie’s apartment and a grocery store, they headed back to Alex’s place to start getting ready for dinner with Kara. Alex opted to remove the sling, letting Maggie help her through a series of exercises and not putting the sling back on when they were done.

 

“Is that doctor approved?” Maggie asked, only half-teasing. She started sorting through the grocery bags, leaving out items Alex requested and putting away the rest.

 

“I wasn’t technically given an end date,” Alex pointed out. “But honestly, it feels a lot better. It’s incredible, really; a penetrating injury like this, you’d expect to have weeks or months of recovery time, but it just feels like I got slammed into the ground. Stiff and sore, but nothing like getting stabbed by a knife or a Helgrammite barb. I’ve really gotta make time to study how that Ismenian trick works.”

 

“Planning to stab agents in the field to help them heal?” Maggie joked.

 

“Maybe just the ones who are already hurt,” Alex grinned, setting a pot of water on to boil.

 

“I’m sure they’d appreciate that. Also, you’ve been stabbed by a Helgrammite?”

 

“Ugh, yes. It sucked. 0/10, do not recommend.”

 

“Noted. But if I do, you can come behind with the Ismenian spike for a healing stab, right?”

 

“Yes! See, it has potential.” Alex waved a knife emphatically before getting to work chopping vegetables.

 

“Anything I can help with?” Maggie offered.

 

“Nah, I got this.” With a nod, Maggie moved around to take a seat on the other side, leaving the counter between them. Alex wondered if it was a deliberate move. Comfortable quiet settled in as Alex dropped a package of noodles into the boiling water, the chopped vegetables roasting in the oven.

 

“Is this weird?” Maggie asked suddenly. Alex turned around, confused.

 

“Can you maybe narrow that down?”

 

“Just… me being here again.”

 

“Bit late to wonder that, isn’t it?” Maggie’s frown deepened, and Alex grimaced. “Sorry. Um, I think it probably should be, right? But it’s not. It still feels normal. At least for me.”

 

“Me too. I’ve missed this,” Maggie admitted. Alex smiled but said nothing else, not sure where Maggie was going with this. She remembered all too clearly their conversation at the bar - and God, had that really just been yesterday? - and she wasn’t willing to push her luck again yet. When Maggie stayed quiet for a stretch, apparently not intending to follow up with anything, Alex stirred the sauce and set the utensil down, giving the other woman her full attention.

 

“I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done. No one could blame you if you’d stayed out of it, but you’ve been here the whole way. Hell, you got shot because of me. Even if you never want to take on that conversation I started yesterday - and sorry about the terrible timing, by the way - I’d understand, but it’s my turn to say I don’t want to picture my life without you in it.” Maggie smiled.

 

“Me either, Danvers. We were friends first. Maybe we can start with getting back to that?”

 

“I’d like that.”

 

“Well then, as your friend, can I just tell you that it smells like your vegetables are about to burn?”

 

“Shit!” Alex spun back to the oven and pulled the tray out, observing the blackened edges on some of them. “Crisp is what I was going for?”

 

“I’m sure. It still smells good,” Maggie assured her. Alex huffed, replacing the vegetables with a tray of garlic bread.

 

“I would ask if you really thought that much garlic bread was necessary, but I remember who’s coming to dinner.”

 

“Yeah, and she really loves this. I’d suggest you get a piece or two before she gets her hands on it. She won’t share.” Maggie snorted.

 

“Thanks for the tip.” When Kara breezed through the window a short time later, Alex was just starting to move everything to the table. She smiled broadly as her sister swept in to engulf her in an almost-crushing hug.

 

“When you said dinner, I didn’t know you meant home-cooked! What are we having?”

 

“Pasta primavera, garlic bread, and salad. And, obviously, there’s ice cream for after.”

 

“You are so the best.” Kara’s eyes wandered to the plate of bread, and Alex held up a hand.

 

“No touching yet.”

 

“Fine,” Kara sighed heavily, brows creasing as she realized it was the left hand Alex was holding out. “No sling?”

 

“I won’t go out into the world without it until Hamilton approves, but it feels pretty good.” Kara just nodded in easy acceptance, and Alex smiled appreciatively. The trio settled in for an easy dinner, Kara regaling them with tales of the daily shenanigans at CatCo, while Maggie returned the favor with a highly detailed description of Henry the emu. Kara, as expected, was both delighted and jealous. Alex mostly stayed quiet, interjecting here and there to stay involved, but otherwise content to just soak up the comforting atmosphere.

 

“You cooked, we’ll clean,” Maggie insisted when Alex started to clear the table. “Besides, it’ll be quicker this way.” She tilted her head to where Kara already had everything from the table except the one plate in Alex’s hand.

 

“Yeah, that always did come in handy when we were kids,” Alex laughed, handing the last plate over. She settled herself comfortably on the couch, waiting for them to get finished. In a matter of minutes, Kara and Maggie were on either side of her, pints of ice cream in hand.

 

“Gonna tell us what’s on your mind?” Maggie prompted gently.

 

“I’d think after earlier, you’d be leery of asking something like that,” Alex teased, drawing a curious look from Kara.

 

“What can I say? I’m hard-headed too.”

 

“So, you both know I talked to J’onn this morning. It was a good talk, and I think we’re on the same page with my brain and with Cadmus and with most things, but also I told him he should put me on administrative leave and we’re definitely not on the same page there,” Alex rushed out in one breath, leaving the other two staring at her blankly for a long moment.

 

“I’m sorry, you what?” To Alex’s surprise, Maggie was the first to react with indignation.

 

“It makes sense, Maggie,” Alex replied calmly.

 

“Taking you out of the field, that makes sense. Taking you out of this equation completely? Why would that?”

 

“Because she sees it as the best way to protect me,” Kara said quietly.

 

“And J’onn,” Alex added. “And everything else I have access to, which is literally everything. The only person who could possibly do more damage to the DEO from within is J’onn.”

 

“You can’t put all of that on yourself, Alex.”

 

“I’m not blaming myself. It’s just reality. We don’t know what they did to my head; what if there’s some kind of trigger that causes me to expose Kara, or release the prisoners, or give Cadmus everything we’ve got on every alien around?”

 

“Jeremiah kind of already did that,” Kara observed, soft tone assuring Alex that she, at least, could see the point.

 

“Yeah, and that’s the other thing. Some of us were too trusting last time Cadmus let a Danvers come back home, and it was almost a disaster.” Kara flinched, reaching out to squeeze her sister’s hand. “I don’t want to be responsible for something even worse than the Exodus, and I can’t live with myself if they use me to hurt you.”

 

“And that’s all fair, but there’s gotta be a happy medium,” Maggie argued. “What happens if you’re on leave and we get a lead? Not only are you sitting out of the mission itself, you don’t even get to listen in from control. Kara and I are out there, you’re stuck in the dark here, and it sucks for all of us.” Alex frowned.

 

“J’onn did suggest manually restricting my access, bumping my clearance back down,” she said hesitantly.

 

“Can it maybe be set so someone else has to approve you to get into anything sensitive?” Kara suggested.

 

“Probably. Any suggestions on who? And don’t say either of you. Maggie doesn’t have clearance for anything, and you… well, you’re not a very good buffer.”

 

“What? I’m an excellent buffer!”

 

“For bullets and explosions, sure. But Kara,” Alex pressed, deliberately softening her expression and widening her eyes. “Are you telling me that if I give you this look and plead for you to let me into something, you’re gonna be able to say no?” A pillow to the face was her response, and Alex smirked. “Thought so.”

 

“Winn?” Maggie offered.

 

“I hope that was a joke,” Alex replied.

 

“Yeah, no big eyes needed for him. Actually, the more narrow the eyes, the quicker he’d give in to her demands.”

 

“J’onn?”

 

“He’d have the ability, but I don’t think he should have the sole responsibility for babysitting me when I visit his agency.”

 

“I doubt he’d mind, but ok. I think we’ve really only got one option, then.”

 

“She’s going to enjoy this way too much,” Alex sighed.

 

“But she’ll do so with the utmost professionalism,” Maggie agreed.

 

“And she’ll remind you of the time she had to give you permission to do anything for probably the rest of your shared time at the DEO,” Kara added.

 

“She absolutely will. Fine. I’ll talk to J’onn in the morning, give him this proposal. And then I’ll go give Vasquez the best news of her professional life.”

 

“Can we be there for that part?”

 

“Not a chance.” While Maggie pouted, Kara tilted her head, all business again.

 

“So if you’re not going to physically be at the DEO, what’s your plan?”

 

“I’m still going to keep working on this, so I need access to a lab. A well-stocked one that won’t ask a ton of questions and will let me have some freedom. Our options are limited, in other words.”

 

“I’ll call Lena,” Kara offered immediately.

 

“She was my first thought,” Alex admitted. With a nod, Kara stepped out to the balcony to make her call. She soon stepped back in with a frown.

 

“She didn’t answer. That’s not - oh, Rao, I forgot!”

 

“Forgot what?”

 

“She’s on a business trip to Japan,” Kara groaned. “She left yesterday, said she’d be out of touch for most of it. She won’t be back until the 26th.”

 

“We can’t wait that long,” Alex pointed out.

 

“I know. Apparently it’s almost lunchtime now where she is, so maybe she’ll be able to call back.”

 

“We can give it some time, but if we haven’t heard back by morning, we’ll have to move to plan B.” Kara narrowed her eyes at Alex, groaning.

 

“You can’t be serious.”

 

“What’s plan B?” Maggie asked warily. 

 

“She’s going to find Maxwell Lord.”

 

“I don’t need to find him. I know where he is.”

 

“Lord? As in the Lord Tech guy? No one’s seen him around in a few years,” Maggie noted.

 

“Yeah. He went on a bit of a spiritual retreat after Myriad, and then he bought a private island.”

 

“As normal people do in response to a crisis,” Kara snarked.

 

“But Lord Technologies is still operational in National City.”

 

“He’s taken a more hands-off approach, and it’s been much more low-key. Their work has kinda fallen into the shadow of L Corp and Morgan Edge. Also of interest to us, there’s been some work done on certain infectious diseases. But it’s still bringing in significant profits; even island living requires paying bills,” Alex noted.

 

“And you think you can get him to help?” Maggie asked dubiously.

 

“He always had a soft spot for Alex,” Kara growled, causing her sister to roll her eyes.

 

“He’s brilliant and loves a challenge. I don’t think he’ll be able to resist the opportunity to crack something the DEO hasn’t been able to.” 

 

“But can we trust him?” Maggie pressed, eliciting an almost feral grin from Alex.

 

“He’s spent time in a DEO cell before, and I promise it wasn’t as enjoyable as his private island. He’s too smart to make that kind of mistake again.”

 

“I hope Lena calls back soon,” Kara whined.

 

“I take it there’s some tension there,” Maggie observed dryly.

 

“Listen, I don’t like him either, and he’s not my first choice. But I need something close, something that isn’t going to take ages to explain all of this to in hopes of getting access to a lab. He’s our best bet if Lena’s not here.”

 

“I could call Jess,” Kara suggested. “I, of all people, am aware of the power of a good assistant.”

 

“Which is also why you, of all people, know there’s no chance she agrees to give us what we need without consulting Lena, and I’d rather not bring in another person.”

 

“I could fly to Japan, bet I’d be there before lunch is over.”

 

“Because that wouldn’t be suspicious at all.”

 

“What if I called Miss Grant and-”

 

“Absolutely not. Whatever you were going to suggest, I do not need the White House Press Secretary getting involved in this.”

 

“I’m just trying to find literally anything that doesn’t include Maxwell Lord,” Kara groused.

 

“I get it, and if there are any options, I’m open to them. We just have to be sure whatever we do, we don’t make it worse.”

 

“Has Maxwell Lord ever done anything that didn’t make things worse?”

 

“We had a rough start with him, but he did help us a number of times. He protected Cat during Myriad.”

 

“Ok, fine, so maybe he’s not the Devil incarnate. I’m not trying to be difficult, Alex, I just don’t trust him with you.”

 

“Believe me, I don’t either, so it’s a good thing I don’t have to deal with him on my own.”

 

“Right. We’ll be part of this too, Kara. This guy is gonna know he’s in for a world of hurt if he tries anything,” Maggie vowed.

 

“Fine,” Kara sighed. “If we don’t hear from Lena by morning, we fly out to Lord’s private island. And if he’s an ass? I’m dropping him on another, more deserted island and leaving him to find his own way back.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

“I’m gonna let you two take that flight without me. I’m due in court tomorrow. The Captain is being understanding of my time off request so long as I don’t miss things like that.”

 

“Of course. We’ll let you know when we get back.”

 

“Can we at least pretend to be optimistic about hearing from Lena? For my sake?” Kara demanded, stealing Alex’s ice cream.

 

“Sure we can,” Alex promised soothingly. “Also, you already finished your ice cream, so that was really not fair.”

 

“Not my fault you’re slow at ice cream. Or that Maggie picks gross flavors that I don’t want.”

 

“It’s almost like she does it on purpose,” Alex grumbled, drawing a grin from Maggie.

 

“How could I possibly know you wouldn’t like avocado and mint?”

 

“You definitely know,” the sisters replied in unison.

 

That night went like most others recently, Alex being awakened multiple times by nightmares, and once by a text from Winn letting her know it was all finally decrypted. Kara adamantly refused to let her get up and go in at 3:27 AM, going so far as to steal the phone and respond to the message herself. When morning came, Kara’s mood was sour; neither sister had slept well, and she still hadn’t heard back from Lena.

 

“I’m going to get good coffee. I need it if you’re going to make me deal with him again,” she grumped before throwing herself out the window.

 

“That was dramatic,” Maggie noted.

 

“It’s not like coffee even does anything for her,” Alex sighed.

 

“Court’s probably going to take up most of the day, but text me when you’re back anyway. I’ll be here tonight?”

 

“Yes, please.” With a smile and a brief hug, Maggie was out the door, leaving Alex to get ready. She started with a short, hot shower, trying to work the stiffness out of her shoulder even knowing Kara wouldn’t let her get away with leaving the sling behind. When she stepped out, dressed and toweling her hair, she found her sister sitting at the table with lattes and muffins.

 

“You’re sure about this?”

 

“Honestly, I was hoping you’d come back and tell me Lena had called,” Alex admitted. “I understand your reservations. I share most of them. But I think this is the best path available to us right now.”

 

“I trust your judgement. I’ll try to stop being such a…” she trailed off, searching for words.

 

“Such a little sister?” Alex teased, drawing a smile.

 

“I never want to stop being that.”

 

“Yeah, I never want you to either. Which is why we, unfortunately, need to go visit Max.”

 

“All right, all right. Where to first, DEO or Lord Island?”

 

“I bet he does call it that,” Alex smirked. “And we’re going there first.”

 

“Really? Just a few hours ago you were ready to throw yourself out of bed and get to the DEO.”

 

“Exactly. If I let myself look at what Winn found, I may never leave. And besides, there’s still the possibility that Max refuses, in which case we need to start on Plan C and I’d like to know that for sure before I talk to J’onn.”

 

“Is there a Plan C yet?” Kara asked, with a pointed look at Alex’s untouched sling.

 

“Sadly, my list of rich genius acquaintances with access to private labs is limited.”

 

“What about the lab mom works at?”

 

“An option, but not one I like. It’s too far from here. And then I have no choice but to tell her what’s happening, and I’d still rather wait to do that. I don’t want to worry her too.”

 

“She’s gonna kill you if she ever hears the whole story. And how long she didn’t hear it.”

 

“So we just need to not let her hear it,” Alex deduced sensibly, adjusting the strap on her sling.

 

“You saying that never ends well,” Kara groaned.

 

“It doesn’t always end in disaster.”

 

“That’s not a high bar to clear. Is that your baseline for this whole operation?”

 

“I’m starting to think it’s the best we can hope for.”

 

“Rao help us,” Kara breathed, wrapping her sister in a tight hug before launching them into the air. In less than an hour, they were somewhere between California and Hawaii, Alex stretching her legs as she took in what seemed like endless white sand.

 

“You know, we’re practically halfway to Japan already,” Kara pointed out, earning a droll look. 

 

“We’re not even halfway to Hawaii,” Alex retorted.

 

“Still.”

 

“Yeah, still suspicious if we both just show up there. Where is he?”

 

“Even his heartbeat is annoying,” Kara mumbled as she listened for it. “Oh, not far away. I think he’s on the beach.”

 

“Lead the way. But hang back when we find him, let me have a few minutes.”

 

“Am I supposed to pretend not to hear everything?”

 

“I thought you promised to be less bratty.”

 

“I never used that word.”

 

Sure enough, when Maxwell Lord came into view a few minutes later, he was sprawled leisurely in a beach chair, feet in the water, umbrella overhead, cold drink in hand. He didn’t move much, but the slight tilt of his head was enough for Alex to know he was both aware of them, and unconcerned by their presence. Crossing her arms and scowling, Kara came to rest under a palm tree, leaning against it as she watched her sister move in.

 

“Agent Danvers!” his voice greeted once she had drawn closer. “Been a while. What a surprise to see you.”

 

“Is it really, Max?” At this, he finally turned to face her, lifting his sunglasses to perch on his head.

 

“Honestly, I’m mostly just surprised I’ve been left alone this long.”

 

“You’ve stayed out of trouble since Myriad.”

 

“You’ve kept tabs.”

 

“Obviously.”

 

“Yeah, obviously.” Max’s grin lessened the sharpness of the words. “A friend recommended some time in a yurt as a way to recenter myself. I took her up on it, spent some time in the Himalayas, some with her and some on my own. Missed out on that whole Daxamite invasion thing. The world has almost ended twice, Alex. If that doesn’t inspire some change, I don’t know what does.” Alex just nodded, letting him speak. “I couldn’t hide out there forever, though. But I also didn’t feel the pull to go back to National City, back to the grind. I left a trusted individual in charge at Lord Technologies, bought this place, and now…”

 

“Now you’re hiding out here instead.”

 

“One way of looking at it. I’m still involved with the operations of my company, as I’m sure you know. And I’m also sure you know we’ve redirected focus; less high tech wow, more accessible medical applications.”

 

“I am aware, yes.”

 

“Some guys, they want to use what they have to make all these incredible medical advances and then use it to get richer. Those guys deserve to be punched in the face. Did you know Lord Tech has been involved in the Global Virome Project?”

 

“Identifying and studying currently-unknown zoonotic diseases? Yeah, I may have read an article.” Max smirked.

 

“Of course you have. But I imagine you’re not here to talk about infectious disease work.”

 

“You’d be surprised,” Alex demurred mildly.

 

“All right, you have my attention.” As if to demonstrate, he pulled his feet from the surf and sat up straighter. Alex shifted uncomfortably, letting her gaze wander out to the water. For all she’d forced certainty in front of Kara and Maggie, she wasn’t quite prepared to lay herself open in front of Maxwell Lord.

 

“Something happened. To me,” she started stiffly. “Long story short, I was abducted and something was done to my brain. Something involving prion diseases and possibly worse.”

 

“I see.” Surprised by the suddenly clipped tone, Alex looked down to see annoyance and something that might resemble hurt on Max’s face. She frowned in confusion. “If you’re here because the DEO thinks I had something to do with that, you’re wasting your time. And if you really think that after what we just talked about…”

 

“Slow down, Max. I’m not here for the DEO, I’m here for myself. And if we did think you were involved, she wouldn’t be hanging back there.” Alex didn’t have to look to know that Kara was glowering at Max, who offered a jaunty wave.

 

“I guess an apology is in order. I tend to assume I’m always a suspect to the DEO.”

 

“Like I said, I’m not here as a DEO Agent. They don’t even know I’m here.” Max raised a dubious eyebrow and Alex allowed a small smile. “Fair enough. At this point, they do. But I didn’t tell them I was coming. I’m here to ask for your help.”

 

“Well, you are just full of surprises. How exactly do you think I can help?”

 

“I need a private lab for a little while. High-tech, secured, and close to home.”

 

“Funny, I seem to recall seeing one of those last time I was at the DEO. Actually, I think your name was on the door.” Alex clenched her jaw, turning to the ocean again.

 

“I don’t know what happened to me, but I know who did it, and they’d love nothing more than the ability to hurt my sister and the DEO. I won’t let them use me for that.”

 

“So instead, I should invite an already volatile, possibly mind controlled agent in to my facility?” Alex held her right hand out towards Kara, knowing her sister was close to losing her temper.

 

“When there’s a Kryptonian to control her, I think your lab will be safe.”

 

“So that’s it? You just want access to my lab and equipment?”

 

“Private access,” Alex clarified, meeting his eyes again. “I don’t want your people in whichever one I’m working in. I don’t want them poking around what’s going on in my brain.”

 

“What’s in it for me?” His tone suggested that he already knew exactly what he wanted.

 

“What is it you want?”

 

“Access.”

 

“To the DEO? Not likely.”

 

“No. Actually, one of my ground rules is no other DEO agents are on my property. You and Supergirl, that’s it.”

 

“I’ve got one more to add, but she’s not DEO.” Max quirked an eyebrow at that.

 

“We’ll talk. But to your question, I want access to exactly what you do.”

 

“I am not giving you the know how to do this to someone else,” Alex replied sharply.

 

“What about the ability to help others with it? You mentioned prion diseases; if this work helps the world understand them better, I absolutely want that. But, more to the point? Your mind has always fascinated me. I want to see how it works in a whole new light.” Alex growled, and Max only smirked wider. “You might remind your sister that if she doesn’t cool it with the laser eyes, you’re not gonna get very far here.”

 

“She heard you.”

 

“I know she did.” Standing up, Max dusted the sand off and looked at her critically. “I’m willing to help you. I won’t ask for every detail of what happened, because you’re right; no one should be able to do that to someone else. But if we can figure out a way to fix this, I’m going to make use of that. Besides, I’m a businessman; if I’m investing in something, I require a return on that, and my… admiration for you isn’t quite enough.” Alex crossed her arms again, staring him down.

 

“You don’t work on any of this when I’m not there.”

 

“Fine. You’ll get a keycard for the lab you’re using, and you’ll have the only one. And you don’t bring any DEO devices with you. Everything gets scanned through security every time in and out.”

 

“Phone and gun are not negotiable.”

 

“Naturally.” Max smiled, suddenly looking fond. “This’ll be fun, Alex. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to enjoy one last day on my beach. I’ll be back in town tonight; you and your squad, meet me at the lab at 9:00 tomorrow morning. No unauthorized guests. I’ll need to meet this other friend of yours before she’s allowed in. We’ll cover other ground rules tomorrow.” With a wink, Max dropped his glasses back down and settled into his chair, taking a long sip of his drink. 

 

“Max, I want you to know one thing: you were not my first choice for this, or even my second. You’re a last resort. Don’t get too cocky.” Alex turned to stalk her way back to Kara when his voice stopped her.

 

“For what it’s worth, I take my work seriously; I am fully invested in helping you figure this out.”

 

“For what it’s worth,” Alex returned, “I believe that. And I may want to strangle you more often than not, but I appreciate your help.”

 

“No strangling will definitely be one of those ground rules.”

 

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”

 

“I left it in the yurt, I think.” Alex couldn’t help a small laugh.

 

“Maybe bring it with you when you come back to town. You might need it.” Shaking her head, she resumed her trek back to Kara, who still looked unhappy.

 

“So I can’t drop him on an abandoned island?”

 

“He’s aggravating, but he can help.”

 

“I don’t like him being directly involved.”

 

“I didn’t want that either, but it may not be a bad thing. Fresh eyes and all.”

 

“Did he really spend time in Miss Grant’s yurt?”

 

“In more ways than one, I imagine,” Alex replied, enjoying the flush that spread over her sister’s face.

 

“Oh, bad Alex! Why would you put that in my head?”

 

“C’mon, Kara. That was definitely a thing.”

 

“But… eww! I did not need to think of it that way. I should drop you in the ocean.”

 

“He gets an island and I’m just getting dropped in the ocean? That’s hurtful.”

 

“You’re hurtful,” Kara grumbled, securing her for liftoff.

 

“Think she ever comes to the island?”

 

“I’m not talking to you.”

 

“It’s a nice island. I wouldn’t mind another visit.” Kara flattened her mouth and picked up speed so she wouldn’t hear whatever else Alex tried to say. Alex just laughed, tucking herself tighter against her sister’s side.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? I liked Max Lord in S1, and his antagonistic relationship with Alex. I've missed him (and Cat, and Lucy) and I don't think he's 'Devil incarnate' either. Where do YOU stand on Max?
> 
> I loved Winn getting to have a moment, too. Him and Alex are adorable together.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's technically not the weekend anymore, but I'm gonna blame the time change and call it even.
> 
> Lyrics: Anna Nalick, Citadel

_What if I fall_  
_What if I don't_  
_What if I never make it home?_  
_What if I bleed_  
_What if I break  
__And I find that I can't take..._  

\--------------

Once back in National City, Kara dropped Alex off at the DEO before heading to CatCo with a promise to be back in a few hours. Alex hesitated briefly before deciding to start with the talk with J’onn. She started towards his office, only to be stopped by Vasquez.

 

“Director’s off-site, if that’s where you’re going.” Her eyes briefly cut down to her watch. “Should be back in about 20 minutes, ma’am.”

 

“Of course. Thanks, Vasquez.” Alex hesitated, knowing she needed to talk to the other agent at some point as well. Vasquez, of course, picked up on it.

 

“Is there something I can do for you, ma’am?”

 

“I do need to speak to you,” Alex admitted. “About an assignment. Sort of. But I need to talk to J’onn first.” Vasquez quirked an eyebrow.

 

“Interesting. I’m here for the day, I’ll be around when you’re ready.” With a crisp nod, Vasquez turned and started towards the control room.

 

“I’m never gonna be ready for that,” Alex mumbled to herself.

 

“Ma’am?” Vasquez had stopped to face Alex again, a small smile playing at her lips.

 

“I- nothing. When did you get superhearing?”

 

“I didn’t. I just don’t think you realize how bad you are at talking to yourself. I eagerly await your call, ma’am.”

 

“I’m sure you do,” Alex replied with a glare at the other woman’s back. “And I talk to myself just fine.”

 

“Heard that one too!” Vasquez called cheerily.

 

“This is by far the worst plan I have ever been involved in,” Alex grumped as she found herself wandering to medical. “I regret literally every aspect of it already.”

 

“Every aspect of what?” Dr. Hamilton questioned as Alex walked in.

 

“My life as a whole, I think,” Alex sighed dramatically.

 

“I hope you’re not here because you think I can fix your life as a whole, Agent Danvers. The DEO doesn’t have the equipment for that,” Hamilton teased.

 

“Ouch, doc. That was a burn. Aren’t you here to heal, not hurt?”

 

“Well, normally when I see you in here, you’re in varying states of near-death. It seems inappropriate to make jokes when you can’t defend yourself, so I’ve gotta get them in when i can.”

 

“I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now.”

 

“No, attacked is what you were a couple days ago. Getting into fights when I specifically told you not to do that…”

 

“And again, it was either that or get shot in the face. And then you couldn’t snark at me in good conscience, so I’d say we both win.”

 

“You have a unique perspective on winning. Is that why you’re here? The fight?”

 

“No, I’m here for your delightful bedside manner,” Alex deadpanned. “I want to get my shoulder checked out again. It’s feeling good, but I promised I’d get an opinion from a doctor who is not me before I ditch the sling.”

 

“It’s been less than a week since it happened,” Dr. Hamilton noted with a glance at her calendar. “You really think it’s recovered that much? Or are you being a stubborn ass again?”

 

“Not mutually exclusive,” Alex shrugged as she took off the sling. “But that’s the other thing. If it has recovered like I think it has, we should look at what kind of compounds the Ismenian produces that speeds up healing like this.”

 

“I hope you’re not suggesting impalement as a method of healing,” Dr. Hamilton said as she rotated Alex’s shoulder.

 

“You sound like Sawyer,” Alex huffed. “Surely it’s not the stabbing itself that does this. It’s gotta produce something, either in the spike or in the slit on the arm that it recedes into, that causes it.”

 

“And we know nothing of the side effects,” Dr. Hamilton pointed out. “Like I said, it’s been less than a week; what if we haven’t seen the extent yet?”

 

“Which is why I said we should study it, not that we should… I don’t know, harvest it and start pouring it into every wound,” Alex responded sensibly. Hamilton nodded thoughtfully as she continued her exam.

 

“I’d like another x-ray. And an MRI at some point, but we can schedule that for later in the week when you’re not looking at the clock every 2 minutes.” Alex nodded and followed her over to the ray lab.

 

“Well?” Alex asked impatiently once they were back in medical, Hamilton poring over various test results.

 

“As far as your shoulder goes, you’re right. It’s remarkable. Even the surgical scar has healed far more than I’d expect for this length of time. You’re released from the sling, but keep it and use it when needed. I’m trusting you can make that distinction. And don’t go off and wrestle an Almeracian or something; ease back into using it.”

 

“I’ll absolutely try to avoid that,” Alex promised.

 

“See, words like ‘try’ just really don’t make me feel better,” Hamilton sighed. “And as for the healing capacity of the Ismenian, I’m going to do some tests on the blood I drew today compared to your baseline. If I don’t see anything that concerns me, I’ll meet with you and the Director about delving into this idea further. Now, shall I write a doctor’s note for your keepers?”

 

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. If they have questions, I’ll just direct them down to you,” Alex grinned.

 

“Your revenge is swift and merciless,” Hamilton groaned.

 

“Always. Thanks, doc.”

 

“Don’t forget that MRI.”

 

“Right. I’ll let you know when I can make it in for that.”

 

“See that you do. This Ismenian research hinges on that being normal, too.”

 

“Now who’s merciless?” Alex joked as she stepped outside. When she reached the director’s office, J’onn seemed to be waiting for her, a thought that was confirmed when he welcomed her in.

 

“Vasquez mentioned you were looking for me.” With a nod, Alex pulled the door shut behind her, drawing a raised eyebrow from J’onn.

 

“Yeah. You’ll be happy to hear I’m going to accept your suggestion, with some modifications.”

 

“Naturally.”

 

“I don’t want free access to anything here. Not even the damn coffee machine.”

 

“That sounds dangerous. Who needs Cadmus meddling when we’ve got an uncaffeinated Alex Danvers around?”

 

“Ha ha,” Alex groused, rolling her eyes. “Point is, I’ll be working elsewhere, but when I do need to come back in here, someone needs to be on me, and know why I want to get to anything I think I need to.”

 

“Who are you suggesting?”

 

“Two people should have the ability to authorize me: you, and Agent Vasquez.”

 

“Solid choice.”

 

“I’m still field qualified, and if something comes up on this, or if Kara needs me, I’m still going.” J’onn frowned slightly.

 

“With clearance from Hamilton.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“What else?”

 

“Everything pertaining to my case, I’m taking a copy of to continue working.” J’onn’s frown deepened.

 

“And where exactly are you taking classified information, Agent Danvers?”

 

“My research on what’s going on in my brain, you mean? Winn’s going to set up a secure drive that doesn’t network with any DEO devices and doesn’t connect to any cloud. Nothing in or out.”

 

“That only answered part of my question.” When Alex hesitated, J’onn crossed his arms. “My approval of this plan is contingent on transparency on your end, Alex.”

 

“A secured, top of the line lab that’s only accessible by 4 people.” J’onn’s eyes narrowed, but he was otherwise motionless, and Alex sighed in defeat. “A Lord Tech lab, all right?”

 

“And Lord himself is one of those people with access,” J’onn deduced. “Have you lost your mind?”

 

“Actually trying to avoid that, remember? Look, it’s not ideal and not my first choice. You and Kara can get together and compare notes on everything you hate about this; it’s still not going to compare to my list of why this sucks. But it’s the best option we have right now.”

 

“You’re sure of that? You’ve gone through every other possibility that makes sense?”

 

“Yes,” Alex replied simply.

 

“All right then.”

 

“I know - wait, what?”

 

“I said, all right.”

 

“You’re on board with this?”

 

“I’m not enthusiastic about it, but I trust your judgment, Alex.”

 

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

 

“When does this start?”

 

“I still need to go to my office, look at everything Winn prepared. And also, tell him I need that secure drive I mentioned; I haven’t exactly talked to him about that yet. We’re meeting Lord at his lab tomorrow morning. I guess I’ll be here for a few more hours today, and then I’ll be working off-property until… well, until.”

 

“I want daily updates. More often, if you find something worthwhile.”

 

“Understood. I should probably mention, one of his stipulations is no DEO visitors at his facility.”

 

“Of course,” J’onn growled. “Take Vasquez with you to get what you need from your office and lab.”

 

“She’s going to enjoy this too much,” Alex groaned.

 

“It’s Vasquez. You know she’s not going to say anything.”

 

“Obviously. But I’m not concerned about her saying anything to anyone else about the situation. Just… the other things she will say. And it will never end.”

 

“Think of it as a bonding experience,” J’onn offered.

 

“Absolutely not,” Alex countered. “Vasquez and I have a good working relationship. No additional bonding time required.”

 

“Just trying to help,” J’onn said with a smile that was just a little too amused. Alex shook her head.

 

“Very helpful, Director.” Scowling, she left his office, poking her head into the control room until she spotted who she was looking for. “Vasquez, with me.”

 

“Ma’am?” Vasquez questioned once they were in Alex’s office.

 

“That assignment I mentioned earlier? It’s me.” Vasquez only blinked in confusion, and Alex couldn’t stop a smile. “We have some theories about what happened in that time I was gone. Nothing good, in case you were wondering.”

 

“Strange. I tend to assume nothing but the best of unexplained, mysterious disappearances,” Vasquez interjected with a straight face.

 

“You would. Point is, I don’t trust myself until we can figure this out. For the most part, I’ll be working in a lab elsewhere, minimizing my presence here and the risk that comes with it.” Vasquez frowned, but didn’t argue, and Alex found that she appreciated the quiet acceptance. “However, when I am here, I’ll need to be… accompanied.” Here, Vasquez quirked an eyebrow. “I’m entrusting that to you.”

 

“I see. What exactly does this entail, ma’am? Please tell me you’re permitted to use the restroom alone.”

 

“Uh, yes, thank you. My clearance to everything is going to be revoked for the time being.” Alex explained the logistics, and as she did, she watched Vasquez’ other eyebrow inch its way up.

 

“I think I can handle this, ma’am.”

 

“It’s a relief to hear that,” Alex replied, finally dropping into her chair.

 

“Of course. By the way, have you seen any Girl Scout cookie tables around lately?”

 

“Are you seriously going to hold my access to things hostage for those disgusting Thin Mints?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re implying, ma’am. I do work better with Thin Mints, though.”

 

“I can’t believe I picked you for this.”

 

“And it’s a great honor, ma’am.”

 

“I’m not buying you Thin Mints.”

 

“Fine. I’ll just bar your access to your Caramel Delites.”

 

“You wouldn’t.”

 

“There’s no tactical advantage to you having them. And it’s just suspicious. Who picks the coconut crap over Thin Mints?”

 

“Anyone with good taste.”

 

“Your beloved sister likes Thin Mints.”

 

“My beloved sister has never met a single cookie she didn’t like. Now, if you could spare a moment to stop trying to blackmail me, I need to start looking at what Winn decrypted last night. Speaking of, when is he in?”

 

“Director gave him until noon for how late he was here, so it should be any minute.”

 

“I need him in here when he is.”

 

“I’m on it, ma’am.” Stepping into the hall but carefully not losing sight of Alex, Vasquez made a couple calls. “He just pulled into the parking garage. He’ll be here soon.”

 

“Perfect.” Vasquez moved around to stand against the wall and watch Alex work, observing but not asking questions. Comfortable silence settled until Winn knocked on the door.

 

“You wanted to see me?”

 

“Yeah, hey. Thank you for getting all of this done. I know it sucked, and I appreciate it.”

 

“Anything for you.”

 

“Well that’s convenient, because I need something else.” Winn took a seat and listened as Alex outlined what she was looking for with the secure drive. “Can you do that? Today?”

 

“Oh, definitely. Give me a couple hours. I’ll get all of those files loaded on it too.”

 

“Thank you, Winn.” When he got up and left, Alex spun her chair to face a frowning Vasquez. “J’onn knows and has approved of that, but feel free to verify that for yourself.” Vasquez nodded, hesitating only a moment before pulling her phone out. Alex smiled to herself, grateful that the other agent, all banter aside, was taking the assignment so seriously.

 

“Lunch break, ma’am?” Vasquez questioned once she was done messaging J’onn.

 

“Not hungry yet,” Alex replied distractedly.

 

“Tough shit. I am, and you can’t do anything without me, so you may as well eat too.”

 

“I am so glad this isn’t going to be a daily thing,” Alex grumbled as she stood up. Vasquez just smiled. 20 minutes later, they returned from a food truck, sandwiches in hand, to find Winn sitting at Alex’s desk.

 

“Oh, hey, sorry I’m definitely taking your computer over and I’m actually not really sorry about it. I’m getting all of your newly decrypted files moved over, and then you’re good to go.”

 

“I have stuff in the lab I need on there too.”

 

“Ok, helpful information.”

 

“I am capable of moving it myself,” Alex pointed out.

 

“Right, or I could just do it for you.” She shrugged.

 

“Suit yourself. We’ll be in the lab when you’re ready.” Alex nodded to Vasquez, who looked mournfully at her just-unwrapped sandwich before sighing, rewrapping it, and standing up to follow.

 

“You know, that sandwich isn’t going to eat itself,” Vasquez noted a short time later as she sat watching Alex bustle around her lab.

 

“That would be weird,” Alex agreed. “Told you I wasn’t hungry yet. I’ll get to it.” Vasquez rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything further. It wasn’t until Winn came in, almost 2 hours later, that Alex finally flopped into a chair.

 

“Every subfolder that’s open right now, I need copied over,” she told Winn with a vague gesture to her computer.

 

“Can do.” He shot a questioning look at Vasquez, who raised an eyebrow in return. “You just hanging with Danvers today?”

 

“Basically. Not as thrilling as you might think. She went a full hour without a word to me.”

 

“I’m more surprised that it was just one hour,” Winn replied.

 

“She did talk to herself plenty, though,” Vasquez added. “I couldn’t really follow much of it.”

 

“Because you weren’t part of the conversation,” Alex snarked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

 

“The conversation that was just you and yourself?” Vasquez clarified.

 

“Sometimes, when you want a good talk, you have to do all the work yourself.”

 

“Hey! I’m a perfectly good conversationalist.”

 

“You know, I fondly remember the days when ‘yes, ma’am’ seemed to be the only words you were capable of.”

 

“I do believe ‘improve interpersonal skills’ was a goal listed on my first official review. Ma’am,” Vasquez tacked on emphatically.

 

“Obviously the review lacked clarity on what it actually means to improve those skills.” Winn snorted from his spot at the desk, and Vasquez turned a glare on his back. As if he felt it, his shoulders tensed up.

 

“Stop distracting my favorite tech nerd.”

 

“I’m your favorite?” Winn preened, straightening his posture.

 

“Don’t tell anyone I said that,” Alex warned.

 

“Oh, I’m telling everyone,” Vasquez interjected.

 

“There’s really no reason. No one will believe Alex said the word favorite in regards to anything besides Kara or her gun.”

 

“Yeah, so stop trying to blackmail me,” Alex said smugly. Winn risked a curious glance back at that, but quickly refocused on his task. Alex finished her sandwich and set about cleaning her lab, knowing it could be a while before she was in it again. Vasquez simply watched with an expression edging on concern. A more uncomfortable silence settled for the next hour, until Winn finally declared his project completed.

 

“You all right?” Vasquez asked after Winn departed.

 

“Yeah, I’m good.” At the dubious look she received, Alex chuckled and sat down. “It’s just… it feels weird. This lab has been my home for years, more than my office, sometimes more than my actual home. It’s temporary, but that could means days or weeks or months. And that means all of these other projects are on the backburner for however long it is.” She waved a hand at her secure storage area. “It’s important, but because of these assholes, I can’t be trusted to work on it right now.”

 

“I think you made the right call here, Alex. A hard decision, but the best one available to you under the circumstances. When the time comes, I’d very much like to be part of the team that knocks the shit out of Cadmus and shows them they messed with the wrong woman.” Alex smiled.

 

“Thanks. I’ll save you a spot.” Vasquez grinned in return.

 

“Done here for the day?”

 

“Yeah. You’re released from babysitting detail.”

 

“You kidding? Now I have to go back to control and babysit whatever nonsense is happening in there,” she joked. “Do you need a ride home?”

 

“Nope, my bike is still in the garage here.”

 

“Is that safe with your shoulder? And yes, I can see the sling is gone.”

 

“You know it’s literally a few blocks away. It’ll be fine.”

 

“It better be. Text me when you’re back, would ya?” Vasquez requested as they walked to the garage.

 

“Ok, you’re taking this babysitter thing a bit far.”

 

“I prefer to say thorough.” Alex waved her off as she settled onto her bike, taking a moment to relish the feel of being on it again for the first time in a week. Laptop, drive, and sling all secured in a backpack, she revved her bike up and took.

 

All too soon, she was back at her apartment, awareness of the vital equipment in her backpack the only thing keeping her from taking a longer drive around. She dismounted and headed inside, feeling more like herself than she had in days. Once inside, she carefully set down her pack before pulling out her phone, texting Vasquez an assurance that she’d survived the treacherous journey. That received a quick eyeroll emoji in response, drawing a laugh from Alex. She then texted Kara and Maggie, letting each know she’d come home for the day. Kara’s string of emojis in reply was more expected but less decipherable than the one from Vasquez.

 

After changing into comfy clothing, Alex called in a pizza order, texted Kara and Maggie again to let them know she had dinner coming, and then settled in to keep sorting through files. The distinctive sound of her sister landing outside her window was a welcome break from the dull task.

 

“Hey! Sorry I never made it back to the DEO today.”

 

“It’s all right. Vasquez kept me occupied.”

 

“Ooh, so J’onn agreed with our idea?”

 

“Yeah. And, as expected, Vasquez enjoyed it. Maybe not the boring parts where she just sat there and watched me read things, but the overall concept at least made her happy.” Kara snorted before disappearing to Alex’s room to change.

 

“Maggie’s on her way up. Where’s the pizza?” she asked when she came back out.

 

“Should be here in the next few minutes.”

 

“I may waste away.”

 

“I doubt that,” Alex laughed, packing away her laptop and going to open the door for Maggie. The other woman was just walking up as Alex opened the door, and she tilted her head with an amused smile.

 

“Glad to see the superpowers are put to good use.”

 

“Always!” Kara called from inside. “But I still don’t see pizza.”

 

“Kara, we order from them at least twice a week. They aren’t going to lose our pizza.”

 

“For our sanity, let’s hope it’s here soon,” Alex mock-whispered to a grinning Maggie.

 

“I heard that,” Kara grumbled. “Oh, he just got in the elevator!”

 

“Please, yell about your powers a little louder in case any of my neighbors didn’t hear you,” Alex muttered, following Maggie in and shutting the door.

 

“Why are you coming in? I just told you he’s almost here.”

 

“You want me to just lurk in the doorway and freak him out as soon as he steps out of the elevator?”

 

“Well, you don’t have to lurk in a creepy way.”

 

“Most lurking is creepy by default,” Maggie argued, depositing a pack of beer in the fridge.

 

“You’re creepy by default,” Kara mumbled, pouting.

 

“Wow. Someone is hangry,” Maggie laughed. Despite Kara’s protest, Alex waited a rational amount of time after the knock before moving to answer the door. Pizza and drinks passed around, the trio settled on the couch to catch up.

 

“How was court?” Alex asked.

 

“Long, but good. We got the conviction. It’s been dragging for months, so it’s nice to be wrapped up.”

 

“Oh, was this that drug dealer from last fall? I didn’t realize he finally made it to court,” Kara offered around a mouthful of pizza.

 

“Yeah, daddy’s money kept him off the hook for a while, but his luck finally ran out. You wrote about his initial arrest, right?”

 

“Yes!” Kara replied proudly. “I’m surprised we didn’t have someone covering it today.”

 

“He’s old news by now,” Maggie shrugged. “What progress did you make today, Alex?”

 

“J’onn agreed to our revisions to his plan, and I’ve got all the case files we need, so we’re good to get started at Lord Tech tomorrow. Either or both of you joining?”

 

“Absolutely,” Maggie replied immediately.

 

“I may have to be at CatCo later, but I’ll be there in the morning. Make sure he knows not to… do Maxwell Lord things.”

 

“Great threat, sweetie. Very intimidating.”

 

“I’ll work on it before tomorrow,” Kara sighed.

 

“Are you going as Supergirl or Kara? Probably need to pick one and stick with it while we’re there.” Kara bit her lip thoughtfully.

 

“Supergirl probably draws the kind of questions we don’t want to deal with there, huh?” At Alex’s nod, Kara shrugged easily. “Kara Danvers it is.”

 

“Give it to me straight: how much am I gonna want to punch this guy?” Maggie asked.

 

“If you haven’t actually punched him by lunch, I will recommend you for some sort of Presidential medal,” Kara promised, then lowered her voice. “I have connections, you know.”

 

“I don’t think they give medals for that,” Alex noted.

 

“They would if they knew Maxwell Lord.”

 

“He is going to want to talk to you one on one,” Alex warned. “Since he doesn’t know you, and he’s protective of his toys.”

 

“Great. I can take him.”

 

“Please do,” Kara urged.

 

“Please don’t,” Alex groaned. “I need him alive, in one piece, and cooperative, at least for the foreseeable future.”

 

“Fine. How obnoxious do you think our welcoming is going to be?” Kara wondered.

 

“Oh God. There’s no way he’s going to be a normal human being who just has us wait in the lobby, is there?”

 

“If it wasn’t morning, I’d expect fireworks.”

 

“Not sure I’d put that past him regardless. He is immensely pleased with the idea of me asking him for help.”

 

“If it’s really obnoxious…”

 

“You still can’t heat vision him,” Alex cut in.

 

“So many rules.”

 

The next morning, Maggie parked in front of Lord’s building at 9:00 sharp. The trio got out cautiously, finding nothing out of the ordinary. As they approached the doors, however, a low noise overhead caught their attention. A small plane soon came into view, dragging a banner behind it.

 

_Welcome, Alex (+ friends)!_

 

“Seriously?” Alex growled, narrowing her eyes when Maggie actually laughed.

 

“I might preemptively hate him just a little less right now.” The plane made another circle overhead before taking off, and as soon as it did, the doors of the building opened and a grinning Maxwell Lord walked out, security guards on either side.

 

“Good morning, ladies, and welcome to Lord Technologies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Internet tells me Samoas = Caramel DeLites in California. I'm originally FROM California and I'd swear they were Samoas there too, but as we all know, if it's on the internet it must be true. *shrug* Either way, Alex is right and Vasquez is wrong and that's just that.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm, hi. Sorry. I definitely just told someone recently that it was important to me not to miss a posting date, and then I disappeared for like 3 weeks. Truly sorry. Life happened, and it continues to do so. I think I had 3 days off in March, and I don't think I have another one until 11 April, so it's been hectic and exhausting. At least this time I know to warn you ahead of time - it'll probably be another couple weeks between posts, but things will settle down for the rest of April so I should be consistent again after that.
> 
> Lyrics: Breaking Benjamin, Crawl

_ Show me where it hurts _

_ And I will make it worse _

_ Are you holding on? _

_ Keep holding on _

 

\--------------

 

“Max, you do recall that I’m a secret agent, correct? Emphasis on the secret part?” Alex growled once they were inside the building and away from the security guards.

 

“Of course I do. C’mon, that banner was generic.” Max leaned in, lowering his voice to a conspiratory level. “I mean, it’s not like it said ‘Welcome, DEO Secret Agent Alex Danvers and her alien sister, who is also Supergirl, and the detective I haven’t met yet.’ That would’ve been in poor taste.”

 

“And it probably wouldn’t fit on one banner,” Maggie observed.

 

“Yeah, but I could spring for a second plane if needed. Hey, speaking of the detective I haven’t met yet - Detective Sawyer, you’ll be coming with me for a while. I need to get to know you at least a little bit before I give you free access to one of my labs.”

 

“Fair,” Maggie conceded with a shrug.

 

“Danvers duo, you’ll be going with Sally here; she’ll get your IDs set up and show you to the lab you’re commandeering.”

 

“Hardly commandeering,” Kara huffed. Max waved his hand dismissively, broad grin still in place, before leading Maggie down a hallway and leaving the sisters with Sally.

 

“If you’ll follow me, we’ll get the IDs first.” With a nod and a last glance at the door Maggie had disappeared through, Alex followed the young woman. She pointed out areas of possible interest as they walked, including a more private, employee-only entrance that their badges would allow them to use. When their IDs were processed - and, Alex noted fondly, even with her distaste for working with Lord, Kara still smiled brightly for her photo - they were led to a lab with a large, tinted glass door and a security scanner outside of it.

 

“Your badge is the only one programmed to open it,” their guide prompted Alex when she and Kara simply stood there. Alex moved to the scanner, swiping her badge over it and stepping back when the door slid open. Her eyes widened slightly as the lab came into view; her own lab was impressive, and she’d anticipated even more out of Lord Technologies, but this was beyond even her expectations.

“Your expression tells me you know far more about this equipment than I could pretend to, so I won’t embarrass either of us by attempting to offer a tour. The phone is right by the door. Please don’t hesitate to call the front desk if you need anything. My name is Jacqueline and I’m happy to assist you.”

 

“Wait.” Alex held up a hand, brow furrowed. “I thought Max said your name was Sally.”

 

“Oh, yeah. Well, I’ve been here almost five years now, and in that time, Mr. Lord has called every last receptionist Sally.” A slight blush settled as she offered a tight smile. “You get used to it.”

 

“I’m sorry, but why get used to a boss who calls you the wrong name?” Kara wondered. When Alex turned to her with a smirk, Kara crossed her arms indignantly. “No, don’t do that. It’s not the same thing and you know it.”

 

“I’m a working mother, and I’d have to work at least two full-time jobs to equal what Mr. Lord pays. Being called Sally is a fair trade,” she explained with a shrug.

 

“I never took Lord as the type to pay well,” Kara mused.

 

“It makes sense if you think of it in terms of him paying people not to ask questions. Isn’t that right, Sally?”

 

“I haven’t asked, ma’am,” came the amused response, and Alex laughed quietly.

 

“Of course. Thanks, Jacqueline. We’ll call if we need you.” With a nod, the receptionist slipped out, and Alex turned back to a frowning Kara. “Hey, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. It’s beneficial for us to know he specifically pays his employees well so they won’t wonder about things.”

 

“It’s still weird.”

 

“I’d find it weirder if Max didn’t use his wealth to protect the company. He can afford to pay well above minimum wage; he can’t afford to have proprietary information get out.”

 

“Fine, just be rational about it then,” Kara groused, continuing to mumble to herself as she set up her laptop. Alex smiled, tuning out the specifics of the rambling. She made a slow circuit around the lab, inspecting the various pieces of equipment and thinking through which would be most useful while searching for anything she might need that wasn’t already present. Eventually, a knock at the door interrupted her process; she looked up to see Max and Maggie waiting in the hall. Kara pushed back from her workspace and went to let them in.

 

“I take it everything is to your satisfaction?” Max asked with a smug smile.

 

“It’ll do,” Alex shrugged, pleased at the offended look she received.

 

“This is top of the line!”

 

“Never said it wasn’t. That’s why it’ll do.”

 

“You’re aggravating.” Shaking his head, Max leaned against the counter, studying each of them in turn. “All right, Team Danvers, time for some ground rules. I assume Alex already covered the basics - no guests, no DEO devices, no spying, so on. But there are some specifics, too.” He turned to Alex, eyeing her critically. “You, no slamming my face against things. Any things. Any time. Any reason. Just... don’t do that.” Alex smirked as he looked to Kara. “No laser eyes. And probably no other displays of ridiculous power, but it’s your secret. Just don’t break my building. And you, detective… well. I don’t really know what you do when you get frustrated, but I’ll assume it involves your gun, so no shooting things. I reserve the right to add more to this.”

 

“I was expecting more rules,” Maggie admitted, drawing a laugh from Max.

 

“Yeah, you clearly don’t know me either. Not huge on rules. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I’m going to let you get acclimated to being here, and frankly, I need to re-acclimate a bit myself. I’ll catch up with you later and let you get me up to speed on your case.”

 

Alex waved a hand distractedly, focused on one of the laptops he’d set up for their use. “Yeah, can’t wait.” As soon as Max disappeared from sight, Alex reached into Kara’s bag and pulled out the secure drive Winn had given her.

 

“Doesn’t that break his rules?” Maggie wondered.

 

“Maybe technically. But it doesn’t send any information out, and it was the best way to get all of our current intel over here, and he knew we’d need to do that somehow.”

 

“All right then.” Maggie settled at another laptop, looking at Alex expectantly. “Give us some direction.”

 

A few hours later, the three had developed a rhythm, with Maggie and Kara going through what they’d gotten from Drakon’s mother while Alex reviewed the things they deemed important and focused on medical documents. They’d cultivated a small list of locations to check into, which Alex intended to share with J’onn during their daily check-in.

 

Around the time Alex realized they hadn’t stopped for lunch - and feeling both apologetic to and proud of her little sister for not complaining about being hungry - Max knocked at the door again. When Maggie opened it, he leaned against the doorframe casually. “There’s pizza in the conference room two doors down if anyone’s hungry.” Kara was out the door before he even finished speaking.

 

“That’s surprisingly nice of you,” Alex noted.

 

“Please. I value both my life and my building; the last thing I need is Team Danvers getting hangry.”

 

“Afraid we’ll start breaking rules already?” Maggie joked as they exited the lab.

 

“Yes, actually. Particularly the one who just flew down the hall.”

 

It was no surprise to find that Kara had already demolished half a pepperoni pizza when the rest of them reached the conference room; she shrugged somewhat apologetically as she reached for a piece of cheese. Alex grabbed a couple slices for herself before slipping out to another empty conference room to call J’onn.

 

“Agent Danvers, how’s your first day at Lord Tech?”

 

“Ugh, don’t say it like that. You make it sound like I actually work here.” With a huff of annoyance, Alex updated him on what they’d been doing and gave him the locations that had been in Drakon’s files; J’onn promised to send a recon team and let her know what, if anything, was found.

 

“On our end, Alex, Hamilton mentioned your interest in studying the Ismenian blood. I think that has merit. We’re going to talk to the one in detainment today and look at some options, see if we can work out a deal..”

 

“Perfect. Thank you, J’onn.” Ending the call, Alex slipped her phone into her pocket and stepped out to find Maggie waiting in the hall.

 

“Hey. Everything good?”

 

“Yeah, just touching base with J’onn.” Warily, Alex glanced at the door. “Did you leave Kara and Max alone?”

 

“No,” Maggie chuckled. “Lord got a call; I think he’s in one of these other rooms. Kara’s finishing off the last pizza. ” Smiling, Alex led the way back to their borrowed lab, giving Maggie a recap of her conversation with J’onn as they walked.

 

“What’s next for us? Just keep digging?”

 

“Yes. I know some of these files are months old, so the addresses and other things may be useless now, but at least it’s a starting point. It feels like we might finally be getting somewhere.”

 

“Just don’t be disappointed if we hit a bunch of dead ends,” Maggie warned gently. “We know Cadmus moves quick if they think they’re at risk; we may find a lot of nothing even after all this.”

 

“Or we may find exactly who we’re looking for, and there’s no rule against using laser eyes on them,” Kara added brightly as she rejoined them.

 

“I appreciate your optimism. And your willingness to use laser eyes on my behalf,” Alex joked.

 

“For you? Always.” Kara and Maggie dutifully returned to their workstations, Alex simply watching them for a long moment. She was certain they were both aware of her gaze, but neither woman broke focus or said a word about it. Feeling recentered, Alex returned to her own computer and pulled up the last document she’d been working on. Before she could get started again, there was a knock at the door, and she looked up to find Max waiting outside. With a groan, she went to let him in.

 

“The moment I’ve been waiting for: I finally get to really see what goes on in your brain.”

 

“You know that sounds creepier each time you say it?” Kara growled. Max opened his mouth to reply, but when he caught sight of the external drive on the table, his jaw instead clenched shut and he turned a questioning glare on Alex. She shrugged lazily.

 

“It’s not transmitting, not even capable of doing so. Strictly storage, so unless you’d rather send us back to the DEO to print everything and then sort through the paper version of my brain…”

 

Max sighed in defeat, still looking unhappy. “Playing dirty.”

 

“And yet, the day is half over and your face hasn’t even been slammed into a wall,” Alex said sweetly.

 

“Yeah, great. All right, catch me up. Don’t leave anything out.” Max pulled up a seat next to Alex, who did her best to rein in her annoyance at being interrupted; a deal was a deal, but his timing sucked. Taking a breath, she pulled up her own medical records and began reviewing every test and x-ray and scan with Max while giving him a more in-depth picture of what had happened to her, peppered with supporting comments from Kara and Maggie. To his credit, Max only interrupted when he had legitimate questions, most of which didn’t piss Alex off. When she was finished, Max leaned back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

 

“I’d like to take a closer look at everything you have so far that has actual details about what they did to your brain. I’m no expert on prion diseases, but I think that’s where I’m most likely able to help, especially if you think it’s been modified.” Alex nodded and set about pulling up the requested files. “Also, the x-rays you just showed me were all from right after you… came back, or whatever. Do you have any more recent ones? And any older ones?” 

 

“Why?” Alex demanded, giving him a sharp look.

 

“I’m just trying to help. I know you and your DEO doctor have looked, but fresh eyes and all.” 

 

“Fine. I have some from about six months ago. I did have one done the other day, but it was just my shoulder.”

 

“I was wondering about about that. You had a sling on when you dropped by my island, and nothing when you showed up today. Was that a sympathy play?” Alex snorted derisively.

 

“Please. I know sympathy does nothing with you. I needed it before; now I don’t. Simple as that.”

 

“Duly noted. Let’s see these x-rays side by side. Put it on the big screen.” Max stood, moving over to study the images in detail on the other screen. Eventually, he turned back to Alex with a slight frown.

 

“That’s quite the collection of broken bones you’ve had.”

 

“Occupational hazard,” Alex replied tightly.

 

“Hmm.” Max hummed, his eyes drifting from one sister to the other. “A lot of them look older, like they pre-date your DEO career. So, the hazard - occupational, or familial?”

 

“Occupational,” Alex repeated, glancing at Kara’s tightly tensed shoulders. “And if you don’t want me to break both your face and your rules on the first day, you’ll drop it and move on.”

 

“Ooh, sensitive subject. Interesting. But fine, we’ll table it for now and circle back to it later.”

 

“Or never. That would be good too.”

 

“Sure. But, moving on, I agree with your assessment; there’s nothing else of note in comparing these x-rays. MRI?” Still scowling, Alex opened up the two most recent MRIs, folding her arms as Max studied those. “Gotta hand it to them, they must have quite the brain surgeon on their team. Everything looks normal. All right, let me see those notes on the procedure.”

 

“Why don’t you use the other laptop in here so I can get back to my own work?”

 

“Ultimately, it’s all your work, right? But hey, valid point.” With a warning not to try to tamper with anything, Alex showed him how to connect to their drive and then finally got back to her research. The rest of the afternoon passed in relative peace, with Maggie and Kara finding a few more locations for the DEO to search, Alex learning nothing new from her reading, and Max thinking he might have an idea. “I’ll need to cross-reference it to a number of databases, but I may have something for you in the morning.”

 

“All right. And Max? No planes or banners tomorrow.”

 

“You really know how to bring the mood down,” he sighed, offering a mocking bow before he headed out of the lab.

 

“Yep, still pretty much hate him,” Kara growled. Alex wrapped her in a brief side hug.

 

“No argument. C’mon, let’s go get wings and beer.” Alex disconnected the drive and handed it to Kara, and they both followed Maggie out of the building.

 

When they returned the next morning, they were relieved to find neither a plane nor Maxwell Lord himself waiting outside. After the first hour had passed with no sign of him, Alex began to wonder what was happening with whatever information he thought he might have.

 

“Should we call him? Or maybe ask Sally if she knows?” Maggie suggested.

 

“Her name’s Jacqueline, and I’m not sure she’d tell us anything.”

 

“I’m just gonna roll with that one. Back to calling him?”

 

“He’s in the building,” Kara interjected. “I can hear him. I think he’s talking to himself, and I think he’s coming this way.” Sure enough, a few minutes later, a frazzled Max was knocking at the door.

 

“Did you sleep?” Maggie asked as she let him in. He waved a hand dismissively in response.

 

“Enough. Listen, Alex, it’s alien.”

 

Alex tilted her head slowly, looking at him curiously. “You realize you sound like a conspiracy theorist? I know how you feel about aliens, but you can’t just blame everything on them.”

 

“I’m not - no, Alex, literally. I compared one of those slides to the CDC, the WHO, the Global Virome Project, USAMRIID, and literally everything else I have any access or connections to. You’re right about it having an Earth-based spongiform encephalopathy as a base, but the modifier is nothing anyone has ever seen before. Nothing like we’ve seen before, for that matter.”

 

“It could be an emerging disease,” Alex countered.

 

“That somehow your pals at Cadmus got their hands on and weaponized and literally no one else in the scientific community heard a peep?”

 

“Stranger things have happened. Wait, back up - what slides are you talking about?”

 

“In the files you shared with me yesterday.” At the blank look he received, Max opened his laptop and pulled up some images, which Alex leaned in to study.

 

“I definitely haven’t seen those,” she breathed.

 

“We’re only about halfway through the various things we got from Drakon,” Maggie pointed out. Alex nodded, sinking into a chair and running a hand over her face. Things had been complicated enough when they thought they were dealing with a known disease with no known cure; if Max was right, they had no idea how to even begin treating it, even with Drakon’s assurance that it was reversible. She had to hope she or Max could find something in the files that would prove Drakon right, and the idea of relying on a dead Cadmus scientist and a living Maxwell Lord didn’t fill her with confidence.

 

A pressure on her shoulder shook her out of it, and she looked up to find Maggie watching her with concern, hand still squeezing her arm. “Hey, you all right?”

 

“Um, I…” Before she could formulate a coherent sentence, Alex was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. Glancing down, she saw it was J’onn calling. “I better take this.”

 

“Alex,” J’onn greeted shortly, and something in his tone made her sit up straighter.

 

“It’s a little early for a check-in, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes, which is why this isn’t a check-in. As you know, we talked to the Ismenian yesterday. It was… unexpected. It’s actually willing to cooperate, with some conditions.”

 

“Hardly unexpected.”

 

“No. The unexpected part was that it claims to have a possible location on who did this to you.”

 

“It knows where Cadmus is?” At this, Kara and Maggie both focused on her, and even Max turned away from his laptop curiously.

 

“It never referenced them directly. But Alex, it’s only willing to talk to you, and I don’t like that.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It knows you’re the one who killed the other Ismenian.”

 

“It’s in containment,” she pointed out.

 

“I know. I still don’t like it.”

 

“If it’s our best bet, and I think it is, we don’t have much option. I’ll be there soon.” As Alex hung up, Kara folded her arms, looking unhappy.

 

“So, to recap, we’ve just learned that there’s probably some kind of alien parasite in your brain, and now suddenly the alien who’s refused to even communicate with us wants to speak to you directly?”

 

“Not a parasite,” Max put in.

 

“When it’s phrased like that, the whole thing sounds pretty suspicious, Danvers,” Maggie agreed, ignoring Max.

 

“You don’t think it’s a stretch to think those things are connected?” Alex argued.

 

“Not a big believer in coincidence.”

 

“Neither am I. Max, why don’t you go get more than an hour or so of sleep? We may be at the DEO for a while.” With a tired nod, he stumbled back out into the hall, allowing Alex to close it up behind them.

 

“What if it’s a trap?” Kara prompted. “I mean, if someone took you away from me, a week or so in a cell wouldn’t be nearly enough to stop me from trying to avenge your loss.”

 

“Good thing I’ll have Supergirl with me.”

 

“And if Cadmus is part of it and they’re ready for her?” Maggie asked, looking like she already suspected the answer.

 

“Detective Sawyer to the rescue, and not for the first time.”

 

“You’re gonna get us all killed.”

 

“J’onn and Vasquez won’t allow that.”

 

“When I woke up this morning,” Kara began with a sigh, “I thought the worst part of the day would be dealing with Lord for hours on end again. Now I wish that was all I had to worry about.”

 

“It’s just a meeting, in the secured containment area of the DEO, with both of you and J’onn near in case it tries anything. And wherever it may send us, I’ll have you there too. We’ll be fine, and maybe we’ll also be on our way to fixing this.”

 

Alex squeezed Kara’s hand and gave Maggie her most confident smile, hoping for once neither of them could see through her reassurances. She did believe they were going to get some answers soon, but she was almost equally sure none of them would like what they found.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...hi friends. I feel like I owe an explanation, but feel free to skip this note if you only give a shit about the story itself; it won't hurt my feelings!
> 
> So I work at an amusement park, operations management team. We open the rides in April for weekends only, the waterpark early May for weekends, and then concerts and every day operation this weekend. In other words, March-May is stupid busy for me. I thought I could keep up, but clearly, not so much. (Last week, I literally worked 31 hours over the course of just 2 days. It was a lot.) Somewhat ironically, now that we're about to be open every day, I should actually have more free time. I'll work 6-7 days a week still, but it'll be more consistent. Long story short: I may not get a chapter every weekend, but there shouldn't be any more 3-4 week hiatuses, and most importantly, I'm absolutely NOT abandoning this.
> 
> Sorry for the delay, and thank you so much if you're still with me! Now, you get a longer-than-usual chapter with a confrontation I've been looking forward to for quite some time...  
> \---  
> Lyrics - Breaking Benjamin, Had Enough

_You should have learned by now,_  
_I'll burn this whole world down._  
_I need some peace of mind,_  
_no fear of what's behind._  
_You think you've won this fight,  
_ _you've only lost your mind._

_\------------_

Alex ran an agitated hand through her hair, staring at the Ismenian in the cell in front of her. “I know you can speak English, so I’m not sure what you’re trying to accomplish here,” she sighed. The Ismenian paused, two eyes blinking slowly while the third continued to stare unflinchingly. It crowded closer to the glass and resumed the combination of guttural growls and high-pitched chirps it had been emitting since Alex walked in. She glanced at her watch; it had been 6 minutes of nothing but that. Shaking her head, she held up her hands in frustration before spinning on her heel and walking to the door.

 

“Wait.”

 

“Oh, now you suddenly remember English?”

 

“You have no concept of how many languages I have mastered.”

 

Alex rolled her eyes as she moved closer to the cell. “Yeah, I’ve heard it all before. ‘I know languages your tongue cannot even form’ and blah blah, who gives a shit? You’re the one who said you’d only talk to me. Here I am. Talk. In a language I can understand.”

 

“Your human doctor implies that you would like to study certain aspects of my physiology.” Alex’s eyes immediately shifted down to where the spike was concealed, and the Ismenian clearly noticed, as it shifted just enough for the spike to emerge partway from its arm. Alex felt a phantom pain in her left shoulder, and pulled in a steadying breath to remind herself to hold her ground.

 

“Yeah, we want to study certain things. Unless you happen to know exactly how your healing abilities function.” The Ismenian smiled broadly, displaying a mouthful of vicious teeth.

 

“If you want to understand it better for yourself, perhaps I should stab you again and allow you to study that.”

 

“You know, actually, thanks for the kind suggestion but that’s not gonna happen.”

 

“Pity. However, I do have a great understanding of how my abilities function. I told your doctor I would cooperate with her attempts.”

 

“Funny thing is, she told me that already. Which means the only reason you even brought it up was to make sure you had the chance to let me know that you’d like to stab me.”

 

“For all the languages of which I have command, none can convey exactly how much I would like to stab you.”

 

“Huh.” Alex crossed her arms, firmly holding her ground even as the Ismenian finally stood and stretched up to its full height, glowering at her with all three eyes. “Well, I can assure you any deal we strike will include a provision against you stabbing me. Let’s move on to why I’m really here now.”

 

“Ah, yes, you seek Cadmus.”

 

“What do you know about them?” Alex asked curiously.

 

“I know plenty.”

 

“So why would you - an alien, not of this Earth - do business with them?”

 

“They may hate us, but their payments do not.”

 

“You realize they’re the reason you’re in here? The reason your buddy is dead?”

 

The Ismenian pounded on the glass, rage permeating where its fist did not. “They are the reason I am in here. You are the reason my mate is dead. You. It is my fervent hope that you destroy each other.”

 

“Appreciate the honesty. You’re not trying to send us into a trap, by any chance?”

 

“As you noted, I am being quite honest. I will tell you what I know. I will leave nothing out. And I will hope they are still there, and that they are prepared for you. As you know this going in, it cannot be a breach of whatever deal we have.”

 

“And you’re asking for what in return?”

 

“Freedom.” When Alex started to protest, the Ismenian waved a hand. “I will remain here until your studies are completed, and answer every question you have of Cadmus. You will release me and I will leave this Earth. You will not see me on this planet again. I believe this is fair for the information I am willing to provide you.”

 

“I’ll have to get approval from the director.”

 

“Certainly.” Despite the casual response, there was a glint in the Ismenian’s eyes that made Alex uneasy. She studied it for a long moment before nodding sharply and turning on her heel. As she reached the door, it called out to her again. “Before I forget, what is the date?”

 

“Why do you ask?” Alex demanded, feeling a knot of tension tightening in her stomach.

 

“It is the 23rd, is it not? You may wish to request this agreement to be expedited. Luthor plans to start her next experiment today, and I imagine you’d rather stop her.”

 

“And there it is. That’s why you waited to communicate with anyone.”

 

“No one asked.”

 

“If we agree to this deal, I’m going to recommend Supergirl throwing you into the sun as your method of leaving Earth,” she growled as she turned away again.

 

Kara was waiting for her in the hall, anxiety written on her face. Instead of the immediate questions Alex anticipated, her little sister quietly wrapped an arm around her and gave a strong but gentle squeeze.

 

“Thanks. I needed that.”

 

“I thought you might.” Kara reluctantly released her, stepping back to study her. “You’re really considering this, aren’t you?”

 

“Of course I am.”

 

“This could be exactly what Lillian wants. We’re going in blind, with no time to actually prepare.”

 

“On the other hand, she doesn’t know we’re coming, and she’s likely preoccupied with getting her new experiment underway. Kara, she’s going to do to someone else what she’s already done to me.”

 

“We don’t know that for sure,” Kara offered, grimacing at the look Alex gave her in response. “Ok, you’re probably right and I get that, but we have to be open to the possibility that it’s something completely different.”

 

“Even if it is? It’s nothing good.”

 

“You got me there. Do you think you can sell J’onn on it though?”

 

“About to find out.” Alex inclined her head to the end of the hall, where Vasquez had been lingering, giving the sisters space. She smiled wryly as they approached.

 

“You’ll be surprised to hear the Director is waiting for you, ma’am. And I wouldn’t say patiently.”

 

“Yeah, stunned. Lead the way.”

 

J’onn and Maggie were both pacing the room Vasquez led them to, neither one looking happy. Alex and Kara traded a brief look as the door shut behind them, Kara subtly reaching out to squeeze Alex’s fingers before she faced off with J’onn.

 

“You cannot be serious.”

 

“I am, though. And I think we all know, even aside from my personal involvement, shutting down any Cadmus experiment is the right thing to do.”

 

“Of course it is. It’s the right thing to do with adequate preparation and solid intel, not a few strike teams scrambled based on vague hints from an admittedly hostile alien. A hostile who, we must recall, wants you very dead.”

 

“Irrelevant. It’s been locked away here with no possible communication outside, so we know this isn’t coordinated.”

 

“Unless it was done before the capture,” Maggie interjected.

 

“Meaning they assumed we’d raid that day and capture this one, which seems like quite a stretch to me,” Alex shot back. “I’m not saying this isn’t risky. It’s Cadmus, of course it’s a risk. But it’s one we have to take.”

 

“Your risks are usually more calculated than this,” J’onn noted.

 

“Yeah, well, we don’t have a ton of time. If our guest is right - and I see no reason to think otherwise - we’ve only got one shot to stop Luthor.”

 

“You’re letting your personal feelings impact your professional judgement.”

 

“Probably, but everyone in this room has a personal connection to this case, and everyone to some extent is weighing their personal feelings too. You included, J’onn.”

 

“Can you blame us for being worried about losing you to her again?” Kara asked quietly, speaking for the first time since they’d entered the room.

 

“Of course not, but can you blame me for not wanting her to subject someone else to whatever they did to me?”

 

Maggie sighed, and the way her gaze dropped to the table told Alex she wasn’t going to like whatever she was about to say. “They had you for 8 days. Whatever she’s up to, it’s clearly a long process. Is it really so bad if we take just a little bit of time to make sure we’re as prepared as we can be, for our sake as well as that of whomever Lillian is allegedly experimenting on?”

 

“Who’s to say it isn’t already underway? Our guest didn’t exactly offer a lot of information,” J’onn agreed. Alex folded her arms tightly, starting at both of them in disbelief.

 

“I’m sorry, are you seriously suggesting we let Lillian Luthor torture someone, just for a day or so, because we’re nervous?”

 

Maggie winced, holding her hands up apologetically. “That’s not what I meant, but when you put it that way…”

 

“Let’s table the timing discussion for a moment,” J’onn cut in with a heavy sigh. “We’re agreed that we need to make a move, and that means making this deal with the Ismenian. I’ll go finalize that and see what locations it provides, and we’ll cross-check that with what you pulled from Drakon’s files. We’ll go from there.”

 

“Can’t you mind read to verify any of this?” Kara questioned.

 

“Unfortunately not. Ismenians apparently have some low-level dampening abilities. I can’t read their minds in depth, I can just pick up some surface impressions. And yes, Alex, from what I picked up while you were in there, I believe it’s telling the truth as far as it knows. I’m just not so sure what it knows is still reliable after the amount of time spent locked up.” With a meaningful look, J’onn brushed past Alex and out the door. An uneasy silence settled, with Kara shifting nervously beside her and Maggie still avoiding eye contact.

 

“Yeah, I’m gonna take a bathroom break.”

 

“I’ll walk you there,” Vasquez immediately offered from where she still stood silently by the door.

 

“That’s not necessary. I know where it is.”

 

“Just following the rules, ma’am.”

 

“The rules are about protecting the DEO,” Alex replied, eyebrow raised. “I’ve only been away a few days, so unless we’ve started keeping secure information in the bathroom in that time…”

 

“Started?” Vasquez questioned. “That’s always where I’ve kept the most valuable intel, ma’am.” The comment lightened the atmosphere in the room, and Alex smiled appreciatively. She also recognized the move as an effort to speak privately, and so relented.

 

“All right, I’ll save us all the embarrassment of arguing about a bathroom escort, and instead just say lead the way.” With a wink and a flourish, Vasquez held the door open and they both stepped into the hall.

 

“Well?” Alex pressed as they walked.

 

“Just remember that everyone who was in that room cares about you, ma’am, and just wants to keep you from getting mixed up with Cadmus again. I know you’re frustrated with how that went, but it’s all from a place of concern.”

 

“I do understand that, and I love that about all of you, but not at the expense of someone who didn’t sign up to deal with this kind of shit.” Vasquez smiled as they stopped in front of the door.

 

“And that, right there, is part of what we all love about you. Ma’am. Also, for what it’s worth, I think you’re making the right call. I know their opinions matter to you, but trust your gut. I certainly do.”

 

“Thanks, Susan. And for what it’s worth, your opinion matters to me too.” Alex gripped the other woman’s hand briefly before going into the bathroom, absently appreciating that Vasquez didn’t actually follow her in. When she stepped out into the hall again a few minutes later, it was to find J’onn waiting for her instead of Vasquez. Alex tilted her head slightly, prompting her boss to speak first.

 

“We have a deal. Agent Vasquez is collecting information on known locations now, and Agent Schott will compare it to what we already have. Alex… I don’t like this. We know Cadmus wants you for something, and I can’t help but think we’re about to deliver you straight to them. I also don’t trust the Ismenian. That said, I want you to know I do trust you. I’m on your side, always have been.”

 

“I never doubted that. And if I did, the whole ‘overprotective’ thing would really convince me otherwise.” Alex leaned in, wrapping an arm around his midsection and smiling when he returned the hug with a fierceness that wasn’t surprising.

 

“Just protective, nothing over about it. And on that note, you’re not going anywhere alone when we move out.”

 

“Like I said, overprotective.”

 

“Completely reasonable,” J’onn argued as they walked back towards the room Kara and Maggie were still waiting in.

 

“So does this mean you’re giving me the green light to move as soon as we have some locations?”

 

“That depends on how many we get. As you know, the recon teams found nothing at any of the places Drakon’s files led us to. If there’s a lot of crossover between that list and this one, it narrows down where we need to hit. But Alex, I meant it when I said you’re not going into anything alone. You’ll have at least one of the three of us with you.”

 

“I got dibs on the Danvers Detail,” Kara insisted as soon as they opened the door.

 

“Depends on the logistical needs of the mission,” Alex replied. “But obviously, you know I’d love to have you on my team,” she hastened to add when Kara’s face fell.

 

Rejuvenated, Kara pumped a fist excitedly. “Let’s go do this!” She was out the door, a bemused J’onn right behind her, before Alex could get a word out. Instead, she turned and looked at Maggie, who met her eyes hesitantly.

 

“You pissed that I’m not really on board with this?”

 

“No.” At Maggie’s dubious look, Alex chuckled quietly. “Ok, maybe I was pissed in the moment. But I get it. If roles were reversed, I’d probably hesitate too. But Maggie, if I see the opportunity to stop her, I have to take it, no matter what.”

 

“I know that, I just hate the circumstances. But I’m glad I’m here to have your back.”

 

“Speaking of,” Alex frowned thoughtfully, “what about your field status?”

 

“Oh, that’s been restored,” Maggie said with a shrug as she led the way out.

 

“Really? Did I know that?”

 

“Yes, but I won’t hold it against you if you don’t remember. I requalified with Vasquez while you were laid up for a few days. You know, when the other Ismenian stabbed you? Like this one would love to do?”

 

“Rings a bell, yeah,” Alex sighed. “But you remember the part where this one is locked away, right?” Maggie huffed in annoyance in lieu of a verbal response, and Alex counted that as something of a win. When they entered the control room, it was to find Kara already in her Supergirl suit and J’onn looking distinctly unhappy.

 

“What do we have?” Alex asked, not sure if she was directing the question to him or Vasquez.

 

“Your pal gave us seven locations. Of those, four match Drakon’s list; we’re ruling them out, but also pulling nearby traffic cameras and other available surveillance just to make sure.” Vasquez nodded to a set of monitors, which Alex and Maggie glanced at briefly. “The other three are the ones that are of interest to us today. They’re new to us, no prior Cadmus links. Two empty warehouses and, uh… an abandoned lab.”

 

“Seriously?” Maggie groaned.

 

“Wait until you see the map,” J’onn sighed, drawing a wince from Vasquez.

 

“Yeah, so, they’re not what I’d call close to each other. The lab isn’t so bad; traffic at this time of day, you’re looking at about 20 minutes. The first warehouse is on the edge of the desert, a good hour or so drive from here - but not that far from the desert base. I’ve got a team on standby there. The other warehouse is the complete opposite direction, also an hour’s drive.” Alex stared at the blinking indicators on the map, understanding what J’onn had already seen.

 

“But neither warehouse is out of reach for someone who can fly,” Maggie pointed out unexpectedly. Kara’s eyes went from the map to Alex with a look of dawning understanding.

 

“Call it, Agent Danvers,” J’onn prompted. “It’s still your mission.”

 

“We know Cadmus has had access to kryptonite in the past, so Supergirl will meet up with the desert team and hit warehouse 1. Sawyer and I will take a team to the lab. Director, you’ve got the last warehouse. Take an agent with you. Vasquez, you’ll be monitoring all three teams and coordinating us here with help from Winn.”

 

“A word, Alex?” Kara hissed urgently. Alex took her elbow and led her to a relatively quiet corner, leaving J’onn and Vasquez to organize their teams.

 

“Look, I don’t like it either, but it makes the most sense,” Alex insisted before Kara could speak. “I’d much rather be with you to personally keep an eye on you, but this is the only way this works out. I’m not trusting the desert location to a team I don’t know, and I’m not letting you go into the other warehouse alone.”

 

“But J’onn can? He’s not invincible either, you know.”

 

“I do know, but I also know they could have kryptonite traps, and I’m not risking that. We’re also not risking splitting up our attacks and giving them a heads up that we’re coming. You need backup, I need backup, and I need to know people I trust are leading these teams. This is the only way we can do all of that.”

 

“We could put Vasquez and Winn into the rotation.”

 

“With rare exceptions, Winn isn’t a field agent. And I need Vasquez here; no one in the DEO is better at running multiple concurrent ops than she is. I know she wants to do some Cadmus-punching too, but my gut tells me this isn’t the end. She’ll get her chance still.”

 

“I’m keeping an ear on you,” Kara warned seriously. “Kryptonite or no, if you’re the one who finds her, or if you’re in danger, I’ll be there.” Alex reached out to pull her sister into a hug, grateful when Kara’s arms immediately came up to return the embrace.

 

“Stay safe, Kara.” With a shaky breath, Kara nodded and took off to meet up with the desert team. Alex watched her disappear, hoping she hadn’t made a critical mistake in splitting them up. The logic was sound, but her heart would always protest sending her little sister into battle without her big sister at her side. The ringing of her phone interrupted her moment of doubt, and Alex groaned when she looked at the caller ID.

 

“Not a great time, Max.”

 

“Au contraire, it’s always a great time when you and I are involved. I took a brain break like you suggested but the lure of your mystery drew me back in and I think you’ll want to see what I’m looking at, so basically, where are you?”

 

“You’re even more obnoxious when you’re sleep-deprived,” Alex muttered. Her gaze found J’onn, and a new idea began to form. “I’m at the DEO. We’re about to run an op, so like I said, not a great time.”

 

“An op related to your situation?”

 

“Yes, so I’ll catch up with you later.”

 

“Wait! I think I should be there.”

 

“On the op? Not a chance.”

 

“No, obviously. I’m far too good-looking to risk getting shot. I’m talking about watching from the safety of that building with your squad of tech goons.”

 

“Max, I really don’t have time for this.”

 

“Great, so just say yes and tell me when. I’ll stay out of the way and follow the rules, but I’m invested in this too you know.”

 

“Fine. Bring whatever it is you’re so excited about and I’ll look at it when I get back. We’re leaving in 15. And Max? Agent Vasquez will definitely shoot you if you wander.” Alex hung up before he could respond, grinning as J’onn approached.

 

“I know I said it was your mission, but inviting a civilian in?”

 

“Even better, I let him think it was his idea. It’s a two birds situation; he brings us whatever information he’s got, and you get to either confirm everyone’s concerns about him, or alleviate them.”

 

J’onn folded his arms, studying her with a fond exasperation. “You want me to read his mind.”

 

“Just a little. No one, myself included, actually trusts Maxwell Lord, but if you can be sure he’s at least telling the truth about helping us with this, it would make things smoother going forward.”

 

“So you let him talk you into him being here for the mission because an actual invitation would’ve made him suspicious. Devious, Danvers. I like it.”

 

With a smug smile, Alex sauntered back to the control room to finish coordinating with Vasquez and Kara’s desert team.

 

“Ma’am, I took the liberty of prepping the chopper. A few more agents will be onboard to back up the Director on his assignment.”

 

“Good call, thanks Vasquez. If only we had more than one helicopter…”

 

“As with most budget constraints, call your Congressperson,” J’onn said, shaking his head.

 

“I’ll get right on that, Director. You have your team in place?”

 

“In the armory now, and they’ll be heading to the chopper as soon as they’re done,” Vasquez replied instead. “Supergirl is with the desert team now. Detective Sawyer is about to take your squad to the armory, ma’am.”

 

“Call it when you’re ready, Agent Danvers. I’ll be back in here when your guest arrives.” Alex nodded absently, mind already occupied with studying the map and what little they knew of the lab Cadmus had taken over.

 

“Situated by the docks, four floors above ground and we’re pretty sure there’s some space below ground too, but we’re having a hard time verifying that,” Winn supplied as he caught what she was focused on.

 

“How can we possibly not know that? Or not have a way to find out?”

 

“We could find out pretty easily if we had actual prep time,” Maggie offered pointedly as she rejoined them. Alex shot her a sideways glare, earning a shrug in return. “I said I’ve got your back; I still never said I liked this.”

 

“We’ve gone into worse situations with less info,” Alex said firmly, holding back a groan as a new voice entered the room.

 

“Funny, that’s what I said going into my last relationship.”

 

“Max. Look at you, making it with time to spare.”

 

“There’s no way you followed the speed limit,” Maggie grumbled.

 

“Prove it and I’ll happily pay the fine, Detective. In the meantime, point me to wherever I get to take in today’s adventure.”

 

“Right this way. I do believe Agent Danvers has authorized me to respond with force if you try to go anywhere unescorted.” Vasquez indicated for him to follow, and Max gave a sarcastically sloppy salute in return.

 

“And I do believe you would love that, so I’ll play nice. Where’s my earpiece? I’m going all in here, Agent Shooty.” Alex spotted J’onn watching Max intently; determined to keep him distracted, she pointed out the map and the camera monitors.

 

“You’ll get an earpiece soon. That map shows the locations we’re moving on, and those monitors will have the various feeds once we’re on the move. I’m leading the team going into this lab, so it’ll actually be helpful to have another set of eyes looking at whatever we find in there.”

 

“See, I knew it was beneficial for me to be here. I’ll be able to communicate with you as well, correct?”

 

“Keep it minimal and mission-relevant or Winn will mute you.”

 

“If only I actually could…”

 

“Vasquez, we’re ready. Get each team to their staging area, I’ll green light when we’re at the lab.” Leaving Vasquez to do what she did best, Alex moved to J’onn’s side. He wasted no time sharing his insights.

 

“He still doesn’t like or trust Kara, and he still likes you more than I’m comfortable with. Interestingly, he respects Detective Sawyer quite a bit; seems she gave him an earful at Lord Tech the other day.” With a proud smile, Alex glanced to where Maggie was getting their team mobilized. “He’s got no connection to Cadmus that I could find. He’s incredibly interested in what they did to your brain, and I’m not sure if it’s just to help you or if there’s more to it. He seems intent on continuing to study it even after this is done, and I don’t know what to make of that.”

 

“So he could want to protect people from this, or he could want to build on what they’ve started for his own reasons,” Alex summarized. “That’s perfect.”

 

“At least we know, for the time being, he’s on our side. Your side, to be more specific.”

 

“Ugh, let’s not be so specific. Be safe, J’onn.” After a brief hug, Alex jogged over to Maggie and led their team to the waiting truck. 22 minutes later, they were on foot, cautiously approaching the lab.

 

“They’re consistent,” Maggie noted. “The building itself is abandoned, and everything around it seems to be too.”

 

“Same thing with this warehouse,” Kara agreed. “I’m seeing a few people inside, nothing in the area around it, and no signs of kryptonite so far.”

 

“Activity here,” J’onn reported. “Two trucks outside, one armed guard. No indication of what’s going in or out.”

 

“Vasquez, you have eyes and ears on everyone?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“Team leaders ready? Remember, we’re looking for intel and a possible rescue. Expect resistance, but try not to make a scene.” When Kara and J’onn reported as ready, and Maggie gave a thumbs up, Alex gave the order to move in. Her own team moved in a single file, Alex and Maggie in the lead, Agents Kelly, Cadle, Tanaka, and Hernandez behind them. It took no time for Alex to pick the lock on a side door in the alley they’d come down, and they slipped into an empty hallway. Maggie quickly spotted a stairwell, and Alex nodded.

 

“Kelly and Tanaka, start with this floor. Everyone else, follow me.” Alex pulled the stairwell door open, not surprised to find stairs going both up and down. “You were right, Winn, we do have some underground space. Hernandez and Cadle, you’ve got that; update us on how many there are below. Sawyer and I are going up.” Alex grimaced as she heard the sounds of fighting from J’onn’s team, loud enough that Maggie heard it standing next to her.

 

“So much for stealth, hmm?” Maggie mused.

 

“Can everyone hear everything? That seems distracting,” Max piped in.

 

“The three team leaders are connected to each other. Their squads only hear their own channel,” Vasquez replied shortly. “Supergirl, status?”

 

“Nothing. Literally. We’re inside, and it’s all bare walls so far. We’re moving towards whoever’s in here, though.”

 

“Director, everyone ok?”

 

“No major injuries, but Sawyer’s right, stealth is out the window for us. The trucks are both empty. Entering the warehouse now.”

 

Alex and Maggie bypassed the next two floors and headed straight for the top. Kelly and Tanaka had encountered one armed guard, easily and silently dispatched, while Hernandez and Cadle found the basement to be only one floor, large and open and full of document boxes and medical equipment.

 

“Make sure there aren’t any armed surprises down there, and then spend a few minutes looking at all of that,” Alex ordered quietly as she and Maggie scanned the room they’d just entered. “We’ll come back with a move team to pull it later, but I want to have some idea of what’s here.”

 

“This door is locked,” Maggie whispered. “First one since we got in. Might be something behind it.”

 

Alex handed over her lockpick set, eyes still scanning the hall. “Let’s find out.”

 

“We’ve got something here, Alex,” Kara’s voice rang out. “Someone, rather.”

 

“Who?” Maggie paused in her efforts, gaze flitting back to Alex at the tension in her voice.

 

“Jane Doe, for now. She’s strapped to a table. There’s a medical chart too, but none of the Cadmus agents we’ve seen seemed like the doctor type.”

 

“Supergirl, turn your camera to Jane Doe for a moment,” Max cut it. “Ok, now the chart.” There was a pause, which Alex assumed was Kara resituating. Maggie turned her attention back to the lock. “She’s stable. These notes look pretty damn familiar to me, Danvers. I can’t tell if they’ve started anything yet or if this is still the prep stage.” Alex listened intently, summing up the key points for Maggie as she worked on the door.

 

“Is it safe to move her?” Kara asked. “I can get her back to the desert base.”

 

“Make sure they keep a guard on her,” J’onn cut in. “We don’t know anything yet and we don’t need to take chances.”

 

“Hamilton says she’s stable enough to move,” Vasquez followed up. “Take the chart with you, but we need a copy ASAP.”

 

“Door’s open,” Maggie whispered, pocketing the lockpick and raising her gun. She and Alex entered cautiously to find a fully-stocked hospital room with state of the art equipment.

 

“Why wouldn’t they have her here rather than an unsterile warehouse?” Alex wondered.

 

“This isn’t for Jane Doe,” Maggie breathed, eyes locked on a clipboard on the wall. Alex moved closer, a chill spreading through her gut as she saw her own name in precise block lettering.

 

“No.” She stepped back and looked around, shaking her head. “No, there’s no way I was here, this close to the DEO, for 8 days. No way my tracker wouldn’t work here, and definitely no way Kara wouldn’t hear me.”

 

“Alex?” Kara’s voice was tinged with uncertainty, and Alex grimaced.

 

“We’re fine. I’m fine. We may have found a lead, but this room is empty. We’re ok.”

 

“Confirmed. For now,” Vasquez added, prompting Alex to roll her eyes.

 

“Kara needs to worry about Jane Doe right now. I’m muting mine to Vasquez and our squad,” she explained for both Maggie and Vasquez. “And Vas, I need you to trust me and follow my lead here.”

 

“Don’t make me regret it, Danvers,” and Alex swore she could hear the other woman crossing her arms in annoyance.

 

“So you don’t think this is real?” Maggie ripped the clipboard from the wall, and Alex moved to stand by her shoulder as she flipped through the next few pages.

 

“This is all basic medical information, easily accessible to an organization who has hacked into or had a mole in the DEO,” Alex determined. “Nothing even remotely linked to what happened.” She made a circuit around the room, ensuring Vasquez and Winn would have good footage to go back through later.

 

“Supergirl just got Jane Doe back to the desert base,” Vasquez advised. “Their medical team is starting an assessment now.”

 

“I think we’re done in this room. Let’s see what else is here.” With one last look, Alex followed Maggie out, listening as she checked in with the rest of their squad. The next door they tried was also locked, and Maggie gave Alex an uneasy look as she started working on the lock. Once she had it open, they found the room identical to the previous, right down to the “Danvers, Alexandra” clipboard on the wall.

 

“I don’t like this,” Vasquez said in a clipped tone.

 

“I hope you’re not saying that because you think I do like it,” Alex shot back.

 

“Never know. You got a weird sense of humor.”

 

“I’m seeing a trend here, but on to the next door?” Maggie questioned tensely. Alex simply nodded, requesting an update on the other teams from Vasquez.

 

“Supergirl’s team met some resistance, but she put them down with no injuries. The Director’s team is in a firefight now; injuries, but no fatalities so far.”

 

“Thanks. Tanaka, status?” There was silence, and Alex frowned as Maggie started on the next door. “Tanaka? Cadle?”

 

“We’re still in the basement, no change. Want us to go check on Tanaka and Kelly?”

 

“Tanaka? Kelly?” Alex tried again. There was still no response. “Cadle, Hernandez, follow up on that. They were on the far side of the first floor at the last check in. Be careful; we didn’t hear anything to indicate a fight.”

 

“Copy.”

 

“Do you want to go back down there?” Maggie asked as she opened their next door.

 

“Not yet. We have two rooms left up here; let’s check them out and then we can go.”

 

“Danvers, Director’s team won their firefight. Supergirl’s team found a hidden, lead-lined passage they’re checking out now. As for you, this is some seriously creepy shit.”

 

“I’m really glad I’m not the only one seeing this,” Alex admitted. “I might think I was crazy if I was alone.”

 

“Some of us might think you’re crazy regardless,” Maggie scowled as they moved to the final door. This one was already unlocked, and Maggie hesitated, giving Alex a nervous look.

 

“Want me to go first?” Alex offered.

 

“Hell no. It’s your name on the goddamn wall.” Maggie shouldered the door open, gun raised. The room was set up the same as the others, but with the added touch of what appeared to be blood splattered on the chair, the floor, and the wall the clipboard was on.

 

“So, even Maxwell Lord finds this unsettling. We’ve reached a new level here,” Vasquez observed. Her voice was calm as ever, but Alex heard the undercurrent of anxiety.

 

Maggie pulled the clipboard down, flipping through it briefly before throwing it at a wall. “What the hell is this?”

 

“A game?” Alex suggested, studying the chair and the blood pattern on it.

 

“I like to think of it as more of an invitation,” a familiar voice offered from the door. Alex and Maggie both spun, weapons raised, to find Lillian Luthor smiling beatifically.

 

“Shit,” Vasquez breathed, and Alex knew she was preparing to send backup.

 

“Hold.”

 

“Damn it, Danvers.” Alex took the short response as an acquiescence, and focused more on Luthor.

 

“Invitation?” she repeated. “Your parties must be terrible if they end this way.”

 

“Sometimes they begin this way,” Lillian replied flippantly as she stepped fully into the room.

 

“One more move and I shoot,” Maggie warned coldly.

 

“Maggie,” Alex said softly, shifting to put herself more between the two women - a move that didn’t go unnoticed by either.

 

“Detective Sawyer, you’re being quite a hindrance. This conversation doesn’t concern you. Alex is right, of course. I believe she’s implying that if you kill me, you’ll get no further information about the wondrous things I’ve done for her.”

 

“You mean the monstrous things you’ve done to me.”

 

“Perspective. You can’t tell me there hasn’t already been some use. Protecting your mind, perhaps?” As Lillian spoke, Maggie inched her way over so she had a clear view, her gun trained dead center.

 

“Considering the only one who’s tried to read my thoughts recently had my full permission? No, not my idea of helpful,” Alex replied, reaching a hand out to Maggie’s elbow. “Stop. There’s no way she came up here to confront us without backup.”

 

“Sharp. Always one of the things I’ve liked about you. Detective, don’t be ridiculous. All you’re doing is putting Alex in the crossfire, and nobody wants that.”

 

“What exactly do you want?” Alex demanded.

 

“As I said, this is an invitation. Frankly, I’m a bit disappointed it took you this long to find your way to it.” Cold eyes turned even harder as she looked at Maggie. “Too many _distractions_ , I suppose.” Alarms went off in Alex’s head, and she moved closer to Maggie, insistently pulling the detective behind her. Lillian smiled at the gesture.

 

“This is between you and me,” Alex warned, knowing the words would piss off Maggie, as well as Kara and J’onn when they inevitably heard.

 

“You’re absolutely right, Alex. We’ll make more progress here if we remove the distractions.” Still smiling, Lillian stepped aside for Hank Henshaw to barrel into the room.

 

“No!” Alex raised her gun, but the cyborg was faster; he caught her wrist and squeezed until the gun fell to the ground, before landing one solid punch to the ribs that sent Alex into the wall. Maggie fired off a pair of shots, but they bounced harmlessly off his torso. He batted her gun away before lifting her in a fireman’s carry and running for the window. Alex could only watch in horror as he launched them both through it.

 

“No killing, no maiming,” Lillian said calmly, and Alex turned back to see her speaking into her wrist. “That’s an order. We’re trying to remove the distraction, not create a bigger one.”

 

Staggering shakily to her feet, Alex looked at the window again. “You want my full attention? Fine.” She reached up to adjust her comms, and immediately knew Kara was already on her way. “Supergirl?”

 

“I’m coming, Alex!”

 

“Wait! I need you to do something for me.”

 

“I’m almost there!”

 

“I’m fine right now,” Alex rushed out, hoping Vasquez hadn’t actually told her about Lillian. “But Maggie may not be. Cyborg Henshaw just grabbed her and jumped out the window. I don’t know where they went, but Kara, I need to know she’s ok.”

 

“And I need to know you are,” Kara protested.

 

“I’m talking to you, aren’t I? You can hear my heart? I need you to please trust me. I’m still in the building, there’s still a strike team downstairs. But Maggie’s out there, in danger, and I need her to be ok. You’re the best chance at that.” There was a shift in the sound of the wind from Kara’s comms, and Alex knew she was giving in.

 

“You realize that if something happens to you because I left you there instead of coming for you, I’ll never be able to forgive myself? And I’m probably going to live for a very long time, so please don’t make me carry that kind of guilt.” Alex flinched, the words hitting her exactly how her sister had intended.

 

“Kara, please. Find Maggie, get her to safety, and then you can come back for me.”

 

“Alex…” Kara’s voice broke on her name, and Alex bit her lip to keep herself from giving in. When her sister spoke again, her voice was infused with Supergirl’s steel. “Fine. I’m going for Maggie, but I swear to Rao I’m coming to you as soon as she’s safe. And if you die, I’m never speaking to you again.”

 

“Fair enough,” Alex agreed on a small laugh. The sound of the wind in her ear picked up, and Alex muted her comms again, turning back to find Lillian studying her.

 

“Wasn’t that precious.”

 

“You wanted my undivided attention? You’ve got it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeeeah, Lillian Luthor in the flesh! I love it when she and Alex face off. I've been waiting for them to come face-to-face again for SO LONG.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Supergirl finale day! I haven't gotten to watch it yet... my girl Alex better be ok.
> 
> I really wanted to get this posted before the ep, but, alas. It's here now though! We got more Lillian, more hints, and another moment I've been waiting for. Enjoy!
> 
> Lyrics - Florence and the Machine, Only if For a Night

_And the only solution was to stand and fight_  
 _And my body was bruised and I was set alight_  
_But you came over me like some holy rite  
And although I was burning, you're the only light_

_\------------_

 

Instead of saying anything, Lillian simply smiled and began making her way around the room, studying the items in it much the same way Alex and Maggie had been.

 

“I imagine you have a few questions for me,” she finally offered.

 

“I imagine you know I’d love nothing more than to shoot you. Now that we have the obvious statements out of the way…”

 

“There was no work done on you here,” and Alex barely repressed a shudder at the phrasing. Like she was a car going into a shop for maintenance. But something else in the careful wording caught her attention, and she tucked that away for later.

 

“I already figured that out. We’re too close to the DEO, there’s no way Kara would have missed me here.”

 

“You have such faith in her.”

 

“Of course. Is that what this is all about? You’re trying to use me against her?” Lillian actually laughed at that, and Alex frowned in confusion. “I hope you realize I’ll put a bullet in my own brain before I let you use it to hurt her.”

 

“Oh, Alex. Let me guess, this is Supergirl’s pet theory?” When Alex didn’t respond, Lillian shook her head knowingly. “Don’t you see they’re all the same? These aliens, thinking everything revolves around them. You’re missing for a week, and Supergirl makes it about her. I bet your Martian thinks it’s about him. In reality, Alex, my interest is in you. Your knowledge, your abilities, everything you can do. Cadmus has made offers to you before-”

 

“Offers I’ve turned down, very clearly. So this is the next phase of your recruitment plan?”

 

“Situations change. It turns out, Cadmus operates at a higher level when there’s a brilliant Danvers involved.” Alex flinched, and Lillian - clearly in full recruiting mode - pretended not to notice. “I don’t know when your father learned to disappear so entirely, but we haven’t been able to find Jeremiah since the Exodus incident. You’re just as qualified, if not more so after everything the DEO has put you through these last few years.”

 

“I’m sorry, let me get this straight. You kidnap me, perform unethical medical experiments on me while holding me hostage for over a week, kill people who are trying to help me, play mind games with these rooms, threaten my loved ones… and think that’s going to end with me voluntarily working for you?”

 

“Your ironclad will certainly has been a stumbling block, but also a blessing. The first nine subjects we tested this on… well, we had to put them out of their misery. It was a kindness.” Alex heard Vasquez gasp on the comms as her own stomach rolled violently. “Three more survived, and you’re the only one of them who’s returned to normal life. It’s remarkable, Alex, it truly is. And somehow, through it all, you’re fighting the very gifts we gave you, and I don’t think you even realize you’re doing it.”

 

“You’re insane,” Alex breathed.

 

“Of course not. There’s a method to the madness, as they say. And as your friend Andy Drakon surely told you, what’s in your brain can be reversed. All you have to do is come with me willingly. You can resume your father’s work, make him proud.”

 

“He already is proud,” Alex growled. “What’s to stop me from escaping as soon as you undo whatever this is?”

 

“I’m no idiot, Alex. Do you know why your father worked for me for so long?”

 

“I assume it wasn’t the benefits package.”

 

“No, though we can obviously offer on-site medical and dental care. I kept him in line with the one thing that mattered most to him: you. And for you? Supergirl can take care of herself pretty well, I’ll grant you that, but there’s a detective somewhere out that window who clearly means a great deal to you as well.”

 

“Leave Maggie out of this,” Alex warned, her voice quiet.

 

“It would be my pleasure. Honestly. She’s a good cop, a good person - exactly the kind of human this planet needs. You come with me willingly and it’s a win for everyone. The detective is safe, we undo the less pleasant things in your brain - we’ll even leave Supergirl alone, at least until she inevitably interferes.”

 

“The less pleasant things,” Alex repeated. “What actually falls under your definition of that?”

 

“It’s good to hear you haven’t made much progress on finding out for yourself. You’re running out of time, Alex; you’ve managed to fight it thus far, but it will overwhelm you. It’s only a matter of time, and there’s nowhere else on this Earth you can go for answers. Only I can do that.”

 

“And you think the Kryptonians have a God complex? You’re so much worse than they are.”

 

“I have eyes on them!” Kara’s anxious voice flooded Alex’s ear. “Crossing the docks, close to the bay. I’m moving.” Alex kept her face blank, but Lillian’s eyes still narrowed slightly.

 

“It seems we’re running out of time too, aren’t we? It’s a lot to take in, but you’ve always been a smart girl, Alex. I think you’ll see reason soon enough. When you do? Call me.” She casually handed over a white card, nothing on it but a phone number. Alex kept it angled away to keep Vasquez from seeing it, looking at it just long enough to memorize the number before she ripped the card in half and tossed the pieces back at Lillian. “Dramatic,” the other woman sighed.

 

“I will never work for you, Luthor. One day you’ll get that.”

 

“Easy to say now. But when the side effects truly set in, it’ll be a different story. By the way, have you been sleeping well, since you came back?” Alex tensed, but before she could respond, Kara’s voice was in her ear again.

 

“He just threw her into the bay! I’m going in after her!” Alex clenched her jaw, taking a step closer to Lillian as she listened to the splashing of her sister diving into the water.

 

“You said she wouldn’t be hurt.”

 

“I also said circumstances change. Decisions have consequences, Alex, you should know this by now. You chose to send an alien to get involved; this is the consequence. He had to protect himself.” Raising her gun, Alex closed the last of the distance between them and pressed it to Lillian’s jaw.

 

“Oh yeah? Who’s gonna protect you?” Lillian arched an eyebrow, cocking her head slightly as if to give Alex a cleaner shot.

 

“Your own need to understand what’s happening, of course. You know if you do it, you’ll never have answers. More than that, you believe me when I say your own brain will turn on you, and you don’t want to put them through that. It’s still your greatest weakness.”

 

“You’re wrong. It’s my strength. And what if I’d rather end both of us right here, right now, and save them from both of us?” For the first time, Alex saw something that was close to concern in Lillian’s eyes.

 

“I see your inclination to self-sacrifice is still present.”

 

“If it means taking you out too? Worth it.”

 

“I got her! She’s awake, I’m taking her to the DEO. Alex, I don’t know where Henshaw went,” Kara warned. The glint in Lillian’s eye answered that, but before Alex could make a move, an iron grip was wrapped around her throat. She released her gun, both hands going to Henshaw’s arm as he lifted her off the ground and slammed her into a wall. He held her there, squeezing just shy of permanent damage, while Lillian straightened her blouse.

 

“Well, I’d certainly hoped this would go differently. Pride goeth before a fall, Alex; remember that. Don’t be too proud to come to me for help when it gets bad - and it will. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon, one way or another.” Without another glance, Lillian spun on her heel and marched out of the room. Henshaw didn’t release his grip, leaning in closer.

 

“I’m not as optimistic as she is. You’re a lost cause, just like your father. And when she finally sees that, I’m gonna enjoy breaking your neck.” His hand tightened for a long moment that felt like eternity, emphasizing his threat. He finally released her, and Alex dropped to the floor in a graceless heap.

 

“That’s the difference between us,” Alex rasped, pushing herself into a seated position and staring him down. “You’re leashed. You can’t do a damn thing without her approval. Me? First chance I get, you’re going down. And yeah, I might enjoy it too.” Enraged, Henshaw’s cybernetic eye lit up, but Alex only smirked. “We both know you’re not gonna do it.”

 

“One day, Danvers. One day soon.”

 

“Counting on it,” Alex replied as Henshaw stormed out.

 

“You got incoming, Danvers,” Vasquez warned.

 

“Shit. More Cadmus?” Alex reached for her gun, trying to find energy to push herself to her feet.

 

“Worse. Pissed off Supergirl.” Slumping back against the wall, Alex drew a painful, shaky breath and reached a hand to her aching throat. Kara found her there moments later, bursting through the window and landing in front of her with wide, wild eyes.

 

“It’s ok. I’m ok,” Alex promised, knowing her voice wasn’t helping this time.

 

“You were almost choked to death by a cyborg. You’re not ok. And why didn’t you tell me Lillian Luthor was in here?” Kara demanded.

 

“Answers,” Alex said with a small shrug.

 

“I hope you got some. Maggie’s in the medbay and she is super unhappy, by the way.” In contrast to her sharp words, Kara’s touch was gentle as she helped Alex to her feet, one arm immediately going around her to keep her steady. “Come on, let’s get you back to the DEO.”

 

“Wait. My team, haven’t heard from in a bit,” Alex protested. Kara frowned, glancing longingly at the window before turning them back around.

 

“Vasquez, anything?” she asked as she led Alex into the hall.

 

“All four trackers still show as being there. Cadle and Hernandez were communicating a bit ago; nothing from Kelly and Tanaka since just after arrival.”

 

“J’onn’s team?” Alex asked as they started down the stairs.

 

“Coming back to base now.”

 

“I hear something,” Kara said quietly. “Heartbeats. Four of them, downstairs.”

 

“Good,” Alex breathed, squeezing Kara’s arm, though she recalled that there had been one Cadmus guard when her team had swept the floor; she wondered what had become of him, if the four heartbeats were all DEO. A minute later, they separated as they entered the first floor, Alex holding her gun in slightly shaky hands. She let her worried sister take the lead as they searched.

 

“Alex,” Kara whispered urgently, stepping aside to allow her to see her strike team all laid out. “They’re alive. All breathing, I don’t see any broken bones or crushed tracheas,” she added with another quick glance at Alex’s rapidly-bruising throat.

 

“Vasquez?” Alex prompted.

 

“Med team is already en route. Should be there in 2 minutes.” Alex nodded, going to check on each one individually. She found signs of head and neck trauma in each - enough to render them unconscious but nothing that should be fatal, as far as she could see.

 

“They’re all lined up. There’s no way they fell like that,” Kara observed. “So they were attacked and moved in here after the fact?”

 

“It’s a peace offering,” Alex realized, her stomach clenching again.

 

“Their cameras are all offline. We’ll see if we can get anything once they’re back here,” Vasquez offered.

 

“Henshaw. It’s gotta be,” Kara called as she flew to help the med team in. Alex nodded blankly, watching the team rush in and begin tending to the injured agents. Guilt settled heavy in her chest, and it wasn’t long before Kara zeroed back in on her.

 

“Hey. Talk to me?”

 

“They’re hurt because of me. Because Lillian Luthor wants me for a specific reason, and it doesn’t matter who else is hurt in the process.”

 

Kara shook her head sharply, resting her hands on Alex’s shoulders and forcing eye contact. “If that’s true, they’re also alive because of you. But also? It’s not true, Alex. It’s not. All of this is because of Lillian, not you. Now, they’re in good hands with the medical team, so let me get you back to the DEO and get you checked out. And then we can see Maggie, too.” Alex nodded tiredly, leaning on her sister. She closed her eyes once they got outside, feeling the rush of wind around them when Kara launched into flight. All too soon, they were back at the DEO and Alex felt the weight of worried eyes from Vasquez, Winn, and J’onn, even as Kara expertly dodged them and took her straight to medical.

 

“I hope it’s nothing serious, Danvers. I’ve got more on the way,” Dr. Hamilton teased as she hustled in.

 

“I’m fine. I can just-”

 

“Not a chance. Park your ass on that bed and let me look. There’s already significant bruising on your throat, Alex; this is no small thing.” Kara tucked herself into a corner, watching the exam intently. For her part, Alex sat quietly, allowing Hamilton to run her checks and keeping eye contact with Kara as much as possible. After a few minutes, Hamilton stepped back and snapped her gloves off. “All right. Obviously, I’d like to do a much more comprehensive exam, but Alex says she’s fine, and we’ve got a load of potentially critical patients rolling up. I do think you’re right; I don’t see any lasting damage or emergent problems. You can expect some coughing and hoarseness for the next few days. Hydration will help. If there are any cognitive changes, breathing difficulty, or conjunctival hemorrhaging, come back immediately.” The last bit was directed at Kara, who nodded earnestly.

 

“Thanks, doc. C’mon, Maggie’s waiting in your office.” After Kara’s prior warning that she was pissed, Alex expected to open her door and be on the receiving end of Maggie’s wrath. She was, instead, surprised by the gentleness that greeted her when she walked in.

 

“Hey, Danvers. You scared the shit out of me back there.” Maggie raised a tentative hand to Alex’s throat, and Alex could only stare at her blankly, taking in her still-wet hair and the DEO sweats and shirt she’d changed into.

 

“Me? After everything with you?” Alex waved a hand, trusting Maggie would understand.

 

“Don’t talk if it hurts, sweetie. And yes, after everything, I was worried about you. I knew you’d find a way to help me. Can’t say I love how you did it, though.”

 

“Can I just hug both of you? Because this has been my least favorite afternoon in a very long time,” Kara requested, moving in when neither of them protested. Alex closed her eyes as Kara’s arms wrapped around her, relishing in the nearness and warmth and life of Kara and Maggie both by her side. They stayed that way until Alex’s earpiece crackled.

 

“Danvers to Control. Director is ready to debrief.” Vasquez sounded almost apologetic, and Alex found herself smiling.

 

“I’m up,” she informed the two women with her, resulting in Kara tightening her arms.

 

“I can carry you both,” she offered.

 

“Not a chance,” Maggie scoffed.

 

“Agreed.” Kara pouted at Alex, but finally released her hold and stepped back. They both stayed close as Alex moved down the hall, pausing briefly at the medbay windows to look in on the team inside.

 

Maggie reached out and squeezed her hand. “They’re going to be ok,” she said quietly. Alex gave a slight nod before leading them the rest of the way. In the control room, they met up with Vasquez and J’onn, and Alex noted Winn and Maxwell working on something off to one side. She quirked an eyebrow at J’onn, who smiled slightly.

 

“He’s being surprisingly helpful,” he explained with a shrug.

 

“They’re going through footage from all of the cameras, pulling out the most useful,” Vasquez elaborated. “And yes, the strike team cameras had enough on them to confirm that it was Henshaw who put them all down.”

 

“Devising a cyborg-stopping weapon may be Agent Schott’s next assignment,” J’onn muttered. “Based on your interactions, we’ll be seeing him again soon. Dr. Hamilton has updated me on your conditions, Agent Danvers, Detective Sawyer. I’m relieved there’s no long-term, _physical_ damage to either of you. I think it’s best if you both take the rest of today off.”

 

“After debrief,” Alex cut in. J’onn folded his arms, looking at her curiously.

 

“Most of what I need to know can be gotten from your camera. Any questions I have can wait for morning.”

 

Alex shook her head, holding her ground. “Things she didn’t say, too.”

 

“And you don’t want to sleep on whatever it is you may have figured out,” Maggie deduced, drawing a grateful nod.

 

“Fine. My office, five minutes. Vasquez, bring the footage from her camera with you.” Vasquez turned sharply and detoured to Winn’s computer, Kara disappeared to change and grab Alex a bottle of water, and the rest followed J’onn down the hallway.

 

“This really can wait for tomorrow,” J’onn urged softly as they settled in his office. Alex shook her head again.

 

“Would help if you could just read my mind,” she joked, earning a grin. Kara rushed in then, handing Alex the water and settling in at her side. Vasquez joined them next, setting the footage up on J’onn’s computer and handing the remote to Alex, who took them through and stopped at key points.

 

“I don’t like those rooms,” Kara whispered when they reached that section. “I wish I’d been there.”

 

“We’ll get a team in there to scrub those and get all of the documents that were in the basement. We’ll make sure we didn’t miss anything in these rooms,” J’onn promised. Alex slowed the playback when Lillian entered the room, earning a sideways glare from her sister. Alex ignored it, looking for one of the parts of conversation she’d mentally noted as important. She grimaced when Henshaw entered the frame, reaching out for Maggie’s hand as they watched him take off with her. Kara, meanwhile, had lifted her glasses and was staring intently at Alex’s midsection. When Alex poked her, Kara frowned.

 

“A cyborg punched you in the ribs and nothing hurts?” she asked, sounding doubtful. Alex shrugged, motioning to the screen again as she found one of the things she was looking for.

 

“No work was done on you here,” Maggie repeated. “But maybe that’s where they took you to start with?”

 

“Alex is right, there’s no way we would have missed her there. But they had a window of time before we realized and started searching, so that’s very possible,” Kara agreed.

 

“I’ll see if there are any surveillance cameras in the area we can pull,” Vasquez added, taking notes.

 

The next place Alex slowed down was the discussion of other test subjects, which made everyone in the room look sick. Alex stopped the video completely, letting everyone have a moment.

 

“Nine kidnapped and killed, three more still missing, and then you - the only one who made it out. And now, Jane Doe from the desert,” Vasquez summarized. “We’ve gotta figure out if those other three are still alive. And who those first nine were.”

 

“I’ll go by the precinct when we’re done here, see if we have anything in our missing persons.” Nodding, Alex resumed playback, speeding through the conversation about Jeremiah until she found the next part she wanted to cover.

 

“It’s only a matter of time, and there’s nowhere else on this Earth you can go for answers,” Lillian’s voice taunted, and Alex looked expectantly at the people around her.

 

“You think… but she hates aliens and other planets and…” Maggie trailed off, staring at the frozen image of Lillian Luthor.

 

“It makes sense,” J’onn said. “Why the tracker didn’t work, why Supergirl couldn’t hear her.”

 

Kara nodded, resting her chin on her hand thoughtfully. “Maybe it wasn’t even another planet. We’re all familiar with interdimensionary travel. Other Earths.”

 

“True, but that kind of travel is incredibly difficult to pull off. Interplanetary, on the other hand, is becoming alarmingly common.” J’onn glanced from the screen to Alex, who stared back at him with wide eyes. “Alex? Are you all right?”

 

“It’s been literally under my nose this entire time.”

 

“Alex?” Maggie pressed, sounding concerned.

 

Standing and pacing the small room, Alex handed the remote to Vasquez. “We’re done with that for the night,” she said with a meaningful look. “The Ismenian portal. That’s how they moved me.”

 

“And when we raided the Ismenian operation, Cadmus hoped we’d take out the Ismenians and the portal both, clean up some loose ends,” Maggie added.

 

“My knowledge, my abilities. Exactly what she said she wants.”

 

“There’s gotta be a way to see where it’s sent people, right? Like a call log, but for intergalactic travel?” Kara wondered.

 

“The Ismenian’s deal included answering all of our questions. I’ll add that to my list,” J’onn promised. “But we’re done for today. I’ll let you know if I hear any news about Jane Doe or the strike team. Go home, get some rest. Clear your minds. We’ve still got a long road ahead.” With a nod, J’onn turned down the hall towards control, Kara hot on his heels with questions about the Ismenian. Vasquez reached out and took Alex’s elbow, holding her in J’onn’s office. Noticing the move, Maggie slipped out the door and followed the others.

 

“I get why you didn’t want to play any more of your footage, ma’am, but, uh… Kara’s seen it.”

 

“What? When?”

 

“Yeah, so I realize I should have maybe mentioned this sooner. When Kara brought Maggie in, I had your cam pulled up. She saw Lillian then, but kept going to the medbay. When she came back out, it was… Henshaw was choking you. She took off faster than I think I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Shit,” Alex groaned. She’d really hoped not to have Maggie or Kara see that part.

 

“And also? The Director hasn’t seen it yet. So… be ready for that.” Groaning again, Alex dropped her head into her hands for a moment.

 

“I’m gonna kill that damn cyborg, Vasquez. I swear it.”

 

“No doubt in my mind, ma’am.”

 

Sighing, Alex dropped her hands and stood up, accepting a brief side hug from Vasquez before they exited the office. Back in control, they found Kara questioning Winn and Lord, Maggie leaning against a console and listening with a smile. Her eyes softened and her dimples became more pronounced when she caught sight of Alex. Vasquez gave her a stealth nudge before moving to J’onn’s side, and Alex quickly crossed the room to Maggie and Kara.

 

“Ready to go?” Kara asked, immediately focused on her sister. Winn hopped out of his chair and rushed in for a hug, which Alex allowed with a dramatic eye roll.

 

“Sorry,” Winn murmured as he released her. “I just… ya know…”

 

“No apologies,” Alex replied quietly, patting his shoulder. He smiled and slid back into his chair next to Max, who eyed Alex with a look devoid of his usual sarcasm or leering.

 

“I won’t be doing… that, but it’s good to see you in one piece, Alex.”

 

“Thanks,” Alex replied, surprised but trying to hide it. “Tomorrow?”

 

“See you then.” Nodding, Alex turned to Kara’s waiting arms, looking at Maggie expectantly.

 

“I’ll be over later. I’m going to stop by the station and see about getting someone started on looking into the other missing persons. Then, I’m going to shower and put on my own clothing.”

 

“You sure you’re ok?’’ Kara questioned. “You survived a cyborg attack too.”

 

“I’m good. Mostly just ready to stop smelling like the sketchy side of the docks.”

 

They parted ways, Maggie taking off on her bike and Alex consenting to Kara flying them home. Once there, they both collapsed on the couch, curled against each other in tense silence. Finally, Kara drew a steady breath and Alex braced herself.

 

“That was the stupidest plan I think you’ve ever had,” Kara started.

 

“You only say that because you weren’t around for the Pahrump, Nevada mission in 2014.”

 

“Should I ask?” Alex waved her off, and Kara rolled her eyes. “I get that you want answers, but stranding yourself with Lillian Luthor?”

 

“Would have gotten nothing if you were there. We both know it.”

 

“And sending me after Maggie without at least letting me know you were in that situation? And also-” Kara paused, frowning thoughtfully. “Ok, I guess that’s all I can be upset about, but trust me, I am very upset. I’m not letting you out of my sight for at least the next 27 missions.” Alex gave her a look, and Kara sighed. “Ok, fine, I don’t really have the authority to enforce that, and I respect your mission planning abilities and how good you are at your job, but I just want to do everything I can to keep my sister safe. Is that such a bad thing?”

 

“Kara, no,” Alex said softly, burrowing further into her side. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I get it, and I’m sorry you had to see what happened, but I’d do it again.” A cough interrupted her, and Kara rubbed her back while reaching for a water bottle, handing it over when the cough subsided.

 

“Sounded like that hurt.” Alex shrugged slightly, sipping on the water, and Kara shook her head. “I’m not sorry I saw, by the way.” Alex turned to look at her curiously. “I hate that it happened, of course, but I don’t like when you try to hide things like that. I know you’ll always try to protect me, but we’re a team. We’re better together, stronger together, and that’s both the good and the bad.”

 

“Fair,” Alex allowed. “I’ll try to work on that.”

 

Kara nodded, resting her chin on Alex’s head, and a more comfortable silence settled until something else occurred to Kara. “Maggie was awesome today. She was so mad I took her back to the DEO after the bay; she literally came up swinging and just wanted to get back into the lab with you.”

 

“Sounds about right,” Alex smiled. “Glad you made her get checked out.” She found herself drifting into a light nap until a knock at the door startled her back into awareness.

 

“It’s Maggie,” Kara said softly. “And what looks like soup and sandwiches.” Easing herself out from under Alex, she opened the door and let the detective in. Alex stretched out on the couch, letting the sounds of their easy conversation soothe her until Maggie appeared in front of her with a bowl of soup, a smoothie, and a smile.

 

“Eat something?” she requested, and Alex shifted to a sitting position, leaving room for the other women to sit as well.

 

“This was thoughtful,” Alex said appreciatively as she took a sip of her smoothie.

 

“I’ve been choked by a suspect a time or two. Never a cyborg, of course, but I’m familiar with it.”

 

“You smell better,” Kara noted as she sat down. Maggie chuckled, shaking her head fondly. The two of them handled most of the dinner conversation, Alex occasionally chiming in around a mouthful of tomato basil soup. When everyone was done, Kara insisted on handling clean-up; finished moments later, Alex was surprised when Kara stopped in front of her, hands on hips, clad in her super suit.

 

“We had a chance to talk a bit earlier, and I think you two need the same, so I’m gonna go make some rounds and give you a bit of time.”

 

“Haven’t done that since I’ve been back,” Alex noted.

 

“Yeah. Time to get back out there. I’ll be close if you need anything.” With that, Kara was out the window, leaving Alex and Maggie to stare after her.

 

“Your sister. She’s something else,” Maggie said, amused.

 

“Isn’t she?” Alex agreed proudly. “You’re really ok?”

 

“Yes, really. I never lost consciousness, no near drowning or anything. Hitting the water at that speed didn’t feel great, but that was the worst of it.”

 

“I was worried.”

 

“Tell me about it. You were alone with Luthor, and I was terrified.” Maggie stood, pacing, and Alex just watched her for a moment, letting her sort through her feelings. “I knew I was in danger, but I meant what I said earlier; I knew you’d find a way. I was so afraid that no one would get back to you in time, that we were about to lose you again.”

 

Alex finally stood, moving to block her path. “Maggie, I’m right here. We’re both ok.”

 

“I know, but how many times has that almost not been true? One of these days, one of us is going to draw the short straw, and I don’t want to have so many regrets when that happens.”

 

“Regrets?” Alex asked, suddenly unsure where the conversation was going.

 

“At the bar last week. You were trying to tell me something, ask me something, and I shut it down. Because I was afraid, and trying to protect my heart. This is probably borderline hypocritical timing, since I accused you of running back when things were scary. But as much as I’ve tried, over the last year… damn it, Alex Danvers, I’m still in love with you. I’m not sure what you meant when you said you might have been wrong about what you wanted-”

 

“You, Maggie. You’re what I want. Now and always.” Maggie searched her eyes for a long moment before slowly raising both hands, cupping her face and letting her thumbs trail down still-familiar cheeks.

 

“There’s a lot we need to talk about. A lot of things we need to make sure we’re on the same page about before we jump back into this entirely. But I still believe in kissing the girls we want to kiss, and I still really want to kiss you, Alex.”

 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” With a smile bordering on shy, Maggie tugged Alex closer and kissed her, with a year of loss and ache and pain and want between them.

 

And for the first time in over a year, with Maggie in her arms and Kara undoubtedly smiling somewhere in National City’s skyline, Alex closed her eyes and felt like she was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That just happened. Whatcha think? Lay it on me!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey, hi. Again, feel free to skip this little ramble-note; no hard feelings! I still feel compelled to apologize for falling off the face of the earth, even though you beauties have been so understanding of gaps in posting before. I never anticipated one this long, but as we've said before, life happens. On a related note, if your own 'life happenings' have never included slicing your heel open and needing 10 stitches and a walking boot for a month, I don't recommend it. I'm all good now, and while I'm not going to make any promises regarding post times, I will say, for better or worse, the end is in sight.
> 
> Lyrics - Missy Higgins, Wrong Girl

Because it's been a while, let's do a quick "previously on..." recap:

_Alex confronts Lillian Luthor, who drops a few bombshells. This experiment has been done on 12 people before Alex; 9 died, 3 survived, and only Alex has so far returned to her normal life. Supergirl interrupts a procedure underway on a Jane Doe in the desert, while Cyborg Henshaw takes off with Maggie and drops her into the bay. Supergirl to the rescue! Lillian promises Alex they'd reverse what was done if she comes with them and tells Alex she's running out of time; Alex basically laughs in her face and then also puts a gun in her face; Henshaw busts back in and chokes Alex out; he and Lillian escape. Literally everyone is pissed that Alex let herself be caught alone with Lillian. Alex is like, "sorry-not-sorry, wanted answers." Team Danvers thinks Cadmus used the Ismenian portal to move Alex for the procedure, maybe to another planet. There's a Danvers Sisters heart to heart, followed by a Sanvers joint confession of "we're still both idiots in love."_

_With a smile bordering on shy, Maggie tugged Alex closer and kissed her, with a year of loss and ache and pain and want between them.  And for the first time in over a year, with Maggie in her arms and Kara undoubtedly smiling somewhere in National City’s skyline, Alex closed her eyes and felt like she was home._

 

* * *

 

_The floodgates open but nothing comes out_

_I'm feeling no relief in my head, just doubt_

_But my heart keeps telling me,_

_Hold your ground_

_You'll never learn a thing if you bail out now_

_\------------_

In the morning, Alex was awakened by the sound of someone trying to move in her kitchen silently, but not quite succeeding. She rubbed her eyes, taking a moment to get oriented, and smiled softly when she found she’d fallen asleep on the couch, Maggie tucked against her side. She gave herself a moment to just look at the other woman, still marveling at the unexpected turn the previous night had taken. Slipping out carefully, trying not to wake her up, Alex left the warm cocoon they’d created and was unsurprised to find her sister in the kitchen.

 

“Sorry,” Kara grimaced. “I was trying to be quiet.”

 

“Yeah, I know. You manage a special kind of loud when you do that.” This earned a pout, and Alex chuckled.

 

“So… good night?” Kara asked knowingly, grinning broadly when Alex blushed.

 

“You knew?”

 

“She didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re asking. But I think you’re the only one who hasn’t noticed how she’s been looking at you lately. It’s been clear since this all started that she still has feelings, but the last few days have been different. Now, tell me everything!” After a quick glance to verify Maggie was still asleep, Alex gave a brief recap. “Clothes stayed on this time?” Kara teased when she was done.

 

“Yes, mother,” Alex responded, rolling her eyes. “We both know we have a lot to talk about, so we’re taking it slow instead of jumping straight in.” Kara snorted, and Alex tilted her head curiously.

 

“Sorry. It’s just funny to me that your idea of ‘taking it slow’ involves saying I love you before the first kiss.”

 

“You’re impossible. Did you sleep in my bed?” she demanded, eyeing what looked like the remnants of a hurricane in her room.

 

“Obviously. Just because you two are ridiculous enough to sleep on the couch when that nice big bed is right there, doesn’t mean I’m passing that up.”

 

“You better clean up after yourself,” Alex grumbled. “There and the kitchen.” Kara waved a hand dismissively, turning to focus on breakfast. Alex started towards the bathroom, but made a quick detour when her phone started vibrating on the floor by the couch. Scooping it up and shooting a glance at Maggie, she headed out to the balcony to answer.

 

“Alex,” J’onn’s warm voice filled her ear as soon as she picked up. “How are you doing today?”

 

“I’m good, J’onn. Really.”

 

“Happy to hear it, and a bit surprised too.”

 

“You watched the rest of the footage,” Alex deduced.

 

“I did. You and I are going to have to talk about reckless decisions sometime.”

 

Rather than argue, Alex just sighed as she leaned against the railing. “Please tell me it can wait until this is all over.”

 

“It can wait. Mostly because I have news to share. Your theory was half right.”

 

“Can you narrow that down a bit? I’ve had a few working theories of late.”

 

“The portal. The Ismenian taught Winn and Vasquez about it this morning. Turns out it does have a log of sorts, and it’s not just interplanetary; it’s intraplanetary as well.” Alex frowned, taking a moment to process before she spoke.

 

“So… they did use the portal, but it moved me somewhere else on Earth?”

 

“Yes, I believe so. We were able to trace a movement from the lab you were in yesterday to a remote location in Alaska. Your tracker was scrambled by the transport, and that’s obviously well out of Kara’s hearing range.”

 

“What do we know about the place?”

 

“Not much,” J’onn grumbled. “We are redirecting a satellite, but until we get something from that, we know literally nothing but the coordinates.”

 

“Well, when are we going up there?” she asked, not surprised by J’onn’s heavy sigh.

 

“I knew that was coming. Let’s meet today and make a plan. We’re not running into this unprepared, Alex, and we’re not rushing in while you and Maggie are both still recovering.”

 

“Physically, we’re fine.”

 

“Another day won’t hurt. We’re planning this one out right. It’s too important not to.”

 

“All right,” she grudgingly agreed, “but we move as soon as possible. We both know Cadmus is too good at making things disappear. If we give them the opportunity, it’ll happen again.”

 

“It may have already happened,” J’onn countered. “That’s why we need to get some solid intel first.”

 

“Yeah, it may have already happened, and that’s why we need to get in there quick to find whatever may be left.”

 

“Are you just going to take every point I make and turn it around on me?”

 

“I learned from the best,” Alex replied, grinning.

 

“You’re not trying to implicate me there, I hope. You do realize I’ve had conversations with your mother and your sister? The stories they can tell…”

 

“Are surely mostly exaggerated,” she interrupted. “Now, I’m going to update Kara and Maggie and then head to Lord Tech for a while. I’ll see you this afternoon?”

 

“Yes. I’ll let you know when we get something from the satellites.” After a brief goodbye, Alex hung up and stared at her phone thoughtfully, trying to slot the new bits of information into place with what they already knew. Realizing that J’onn hadn’t updated her on the status of her injured strike team, she sent a quick text to inquire about them before going back into the living room. She walked into an abrupt ending to what sounded like a heated conversation between Maggie and Kara. Her sister flashed her an almost-guilty look, while Maggie just rolled her eyes and smiled.

 

“Hey, you.”

 

“Hey yourself. Sleep ok?”

 

“I did, actually. Better than I have in a very long time,” Maggie acknowledged.

 

Kara snorted as she piled pancakes on a large plate. “I don’t see how, with both of you on that couch.”

 

“I was very comfortable,” Maggie replied, shooting Alex a wink. “What’s the plan for the day?” Moving to help Kara distribute food while Maggie handled coffee duty, Alex got them up to speed on her conversation with J’onn.

 

“You’re not sure you believe it though,” Maggie deduced once she was done.

 

“I’m just stuck on what Lillian said yesterday, about there being nowhere else on Earth for answers.”

 

Sipping her coffee, Maggie hummed thoughtfully before offering, “Red herring?”

 

“Or maybe she was just trying to set herself up as the sole authority,” Kara suggested around a mouthful of pancake. “So it’s really not about where on Earth so much as who.”

 

“That makes sense. She doesn’t know how much we know about the portal, no reason to think we could track it. She wants something from me, and she wanted us to believe I’d have to go back to her for answers. Trying to ensure I seek her out again, one way or another.”

 

“Which we’re definitely not planning to do,” Kara added emphatically, giving Alex her best glare.

 

“No. Not planning to at the moment.”

 

“Not comforting.”

 

“You want me to lie to you?”

 

“Sometimes.”

 

“How on Earth did your mother put up with the two of you?” Maggie wondered as she moved to refill her coffee. “I can see every morning being something like this.”

 

Kara smiled brightly as she stuffed another pancake in her mouth. “She put up with us because we’re cute and charming.” Alex gave a brief nod, pointing at her sister for emphasis as she slurped down the last of her own coffee. Maggie grimaced.

 

“Yeah, so I see.”

 

Alex grinned as she set her mug down. “So, we’ll be meeting with J’onn this afternoon to plan out this Alaskan expedition. Until then, I’m going to Lord’s lab to keep working on what we have there.”

 

“I’ll go to the precinct again and see if we’ve gotten anywhere on the other missing persons. Let me know when you’re going to the DEO, I’ll meet you there.”

 

“Same. Well, I’ll be at CatCo, but you get it. No rushing off to Alaska without me.”

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Alex promised, causing Maggie and Kara to share a dubious look. “Oh, come on!”

 

“We know you too well, Danvers,” Maggie teased, depositing her plate and mug into the sink. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned over and kissed Alex’s cheek. “See you this afternoon.” Alex couldn’t hold back the smile as she watched Maggie walk out, even as she felt Kara practically buzzing with energy behind her.

 

“I’m so excited for you!” she burst out as soon as the door closed. “Also, I might have kind of interrogated your maybe-girlfriend a little bit.”

 

Alex groaned, walking to her room to get changed. “I wondered what was going on.”

 

“I guess I should say, tried to. Turns out being a trained interrogator also makes you better at not being interrogated.”

 

“Who knew?” Alex replied dryly.

 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re my sister and I want to look out for you. The first time was so hard, on both of you, I’m just worried about what happens if this doesn’t end well now.” Alex exited her room to see Kara at the table, idly dragging her fork through leftover syrup on her plate.

 

“Believe me, so am I. But considering Maggie and I haven’t even gotten to talk about… any of it yet, really, it’s not exactly fair to think she’ll be able to make any promises.”

 

“I know,” Kara sighed, “and you know I care about her too, and I just…” she flailed her hands around uselessly, looking at her sister like she’d understand. Somehow, Alex thought she did.

 

“Time will tell. And hopefully, we’ll have time to talk it over soon.”

 

“Hopefully before this Alaska mission. Missions haven’t been going so great lately.”

 

“Wow. All right, there, Debbie Downer.” Kara gave her a half-hearted glare in response, and Alex found herself laughing. “It’ll be fine. Come on, let’s get moving.” She searched for her forgotten phone, picking it up to find a text from J’onn. “The strike team is all ok. Hernandez is staying in medbay one more night, the rest were released this morning.”

 

“That’s good news!”

 

“Very. And if I know them, it’s going to be a battle to keep them from trying to join the Alaska team.”

 

“Are you sure you’re ready for another Cadmus mission so soon?” Kara asked, only flinching slightly when Alex pulled her door shut a little harder than usual.

 

“You know the answer to that,” Alex replied firmly, obligingly standing still for a moment as Kara gently reached out to skim her fingers over the bruising on her throat.

 

“Yeah, well, being your sister and wanting to look out for you extends to more than just your love life,” she noted. Alex picked up on the deliberate note of teasing in her voice, her attempt at lightening the mood before they separated for the day. She shook her head as they reached the elevator.

 

“You’re so annoying.”

 

“I think you mean cute and charming.”

 

“You have your moments, I suppose.” Laughing, Kara slipped an arm around Alex’s shoulders, holding tight until the doors slid open.

 

“See you this afternoon. Call me if anything comes up.”

 

Alex frowned, studying her as they walked out to her motorcycle. “By that, you mean you’re going to suit up and follow me to the lab to make sure I get there ok, and then listen in throughout the day until I text you?”

 

“Um.” Kara bit her lip and looked down, cautiously inching away. “Or I could just fly you there and skip that first part.”

 

“You’re ridiculous.”

 

“I think I deserve at least partial credit for trying really hard not to be overbearing the day after you got pummeled by a cyborg.”

 

“I did not get pummeled!”

 

“That’s the part she chooses to focus on…” Kara grumbled.

 

“Fair. Yes, you do get partial credit. I’m still driving myself.”

 

“Fine. I’m still gonna disappear into an alley for a second.” Rolling her eyes, Alex pulled her helmet on and took off, barely glancing up as a blue and red figure launched into the sky behind her. She made use of the fairly short drive time to recenter herself, trying to tamp down the variety of emotions the last 24 hours had elicited and focus on the case at hand like it was any other mission. She was mostly successful, and by the time she slid off her bike, she felt her calm, collected Agent Danvers persona largely slipping into place.

 

She still couldn’t help the flood of warmth in her chest at the way Kara lingered overhead, only taking off when Alex was safely in the building.

 

“Good morning, Agent Danvers!” Jacqueline greeted as she walked in. “I believe Mr. Lord was expecting you earlier. “

 

“I’m sure he was. I imagine he’ll be knocking on my door soon then?” The receptionist only smiled in response, and Alex sighed as she headed down the hall. As expected, she’d barely gotten logged in to her computer when Max appeared at the lab door, banging on it louder than necessary. Alex grumbled as she crossed the room to open it, glaring at him as he entered. “Why are you like this?”

 

“My last therapist asked me the same thing. Which was funny, because I thought it was his job to tell me that. But look, I never got to talk to you yesterday because of the whole Cyborg-choking-thing - by the way, how is that?”

 

“God, you need to switch to decaf. It’s fine, thanks.”

 

“Really? I would’ve expected it to feel pretty awful still.” Alex frowned, recognizing the truth of his statement, as he continued to ramble. “Maybe it’s all that past trauma we talked about yesterday. Makes you heal faster. That might be worth-”

 

“Max,” Alex cut in sharply. “There’s kind of a lot going on, so if there’s an actual point, get to it.”

 

“I always have a point. I was going through all of your brain files and what we recovered from Drakon, and I think I found the key. Or at least, the key ring, in which case we’re still not sure exactly which key we need. Anyway, point is, we already figured they’d modified a prion disease, and combined it with something alien. What I think now is that they essentially neutered the prion disease, for lack of a better word - they made it harmless on it’s own, but still able to get into the human brain and settle in for the long haul.” While Max spoke, he’d also been busy setting up his laptop and opening files, some of which he pushed to the projector for Alex to see on the big wall opposite them.

 

“Like a Trojan Horse,” Alex noted as she studied the images on the wall.

 

“Yeah. And just like Troy, we don’t know anything about the Greeks that are hiding inside of it.”

 

“But we know they’re in there,” Alex pointed out.

 

“True, so hopefully that means we can keep them from burning the city down.”

 

Alex turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “The city being my brain.”

 

“Right.” Max grimaced slightly, but offered no apology. “We’ve also got files on various alien diseases, but they’re so complex and so different from anything we’ve seen on Earth, I don’t know how we go about decoding which one, or which ones, they put in your head.”

 

“I’m not sure how much the specifics matter, at this point,” Alex mused. “Is there anything about how they modified the prion? That may be our best bet.”

 

“And that’s the thing I would most love to know,” Max agreed, and Alex heard nothing but sincerity in his voice. “But that’s one thing I haven’t seen yet. Granted, we have a lot to go through, and I’m the only person who’s looked at any of it in the last couple days…”

 

“Yeah, speaking of that - we had an agreement.”

 

Max tilted his head, looking at her uncertainly. “Uhh… yes?”

 

“Agreement being, you don’t work on my case when I’m not around,” Alex reminded.

 

“I’m looking into more general medical and scientific developments here. I’d hardly say it’s specific just to you,” Max hedged. “You’re not the first person to ever have a prion disease.”

 

“You literally called it my brain file. Like, five minutes ago.”

 

“Ok, fine,” Max sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against a desk. “I may be working beyond the scope of our agreement, but if I wasn’t, we’d still be where we were two days ago. Nothing from your specific medical files is in here, nothing I’ve saved or looked at is accessible anywhere but my personal laptop, and damn it, I’m legitimately trying to help.”

 

Alex crossed her arms as well, mirroring his pose as she debated whether or not to push the issue. “I reserve the right to be annoyed, on the basis of our agreement. But… fine. You better not be lying about that information being anywhere else.”

 

“Cross my heart and… well, don’t hope to die, but you get the gist.”

 

Relaxing her arms, Alex turned to look at the files again. “I may have Kara look at all the alien disease stuff when she’s here again. Maybe compile a list of what we know of them so we can cross check anything we find at any Cadmus sites.”

 

“I could do that,” Max offered.

 

“You could. Or you could keep working the prion angle. Try to figure out how they made it work like that.”

 

“Or why that’s the one they went with, for that matter.”

 

“I think we already know that,” Alex demurred. “It’s one of the only things that would’ve been undetectable. If they’d gone with… I don’t know, viral meningitis or something, it would’ve shown on a test the first day I was back. This bought them time, though I think they probably expected it to take longer for us to figure that part out. No, we’ve got why. We just need to figure out how.”

 

“All right,” Max said obligingly. “How it is.”

 

“You’re being uncharacteristically agreeable,” Alex teased as she finally turned back to her computer.

 

“Just trying to show that I can, actually, be a team player,” was Max’s response, surprisingly free of any sarcasm. Alex glanced up just long enough to meet his eye before turning back to her work, J’onn’s reading from the previous day still fresh in mind.

 

_He’s incredibly interested in what they did to your brain, and I’m not sure if it’s just to help you or if there’s more to it._

 

They worked mostly in companionable silence until lunchtime, when Kara showed up with soup and pasta. While they ate, Alex outlined what she and Max had discussed and what she wanted her sister to focus on next.

 

“I should be able to be here tomorrow, depending on what the DEO has planned.” At that, Max looked up in interest, but the sisters ignored him. “And who knows, I may even recognize some of them, depending where they’re from.”

 

“I was hoping you might,” Alex admitted.

 

“Sounds like a job for Supergirl,” Kara agreed with a grin.

 

Clearly feeling left out, Max leaned back in his chair, briefly making himself the center of attention. “Where’s the good detective today?”

 

“Working a different angle,” Alex replied blandly, hoping he’d take the hint and let it go.

 

“Oh yeah? One relating to whatever the DEO’s got going on tomorrow?” Classic Maxwell Lord.

 

“Time will tell.”

 

“Short, cryptic answers. Very DEO of you.”

 

“Almost like I work there,” Alex shot back. Before Max could respond, Alex’s phone started ringing, and she held it up. “Ah, gotta take this. So sorry.”

 

“Bet it’s just a telemarketer,” Max grumbled as she slipped out the door.

 

“Please make sure Mr. Lord knows I’m not a telemarketer,” J’onn said, and Alex could hear the indignation in his voice.

 

“I’ll make it my first priority.”

 

“Good. After that, you can come to the DEO. Our satellite is finally online where we want it so we can start planning for tomorrow.”

 

“Kara’s with me. I’ll text Maggie and we’ll be there soon.” Hanging up, Alex re-entered the lab, where Max looked up at her expectantly.

 

“Good call?”

 

Alex shrugged as she started shutting down her station. “Telemarketer.”

 

“I deserved that.”

 

“You did. Now, if you don’t mind, Kara and I have to go.” Alex gave him a pointed look as she finished her text to Maggie.

 

Groaning, Max let his head fall to the desk dramatically. When he sat back up again, it was to find both Danvers sisters staring at him curiously.

 

“What? I was in a groove.”

 

“You were on a lunch break,” Kara pointed out, uncertainty tingeing her voice. Max shrugged and picked up his laptop, leaving the room without another word. Kara turned to her sister, who held up her hands.

 

“I don’t know either. Come on, I’ll meet you at the DEO.”

 

“Sure you don’t want me to fly us?”

 

“And leave my bike here? Not a chance.”

 

“I can carry that too, you know.”

 

“I’ll see you there,” Alex reiterated, smirking when her sister huffed in response.

 

“Hey. Are you ok?” Sudden worry laced Kara’s tone, and Alex raised an eyebrow questioningly. “You have a headache or something? You keep rubbing the base of your skull. That’s like the 4th time just since I’ve been here today.”

 

“Is it really?”

 

“It is, really.”

 

“I honestly didn’t even notice,” Alex admitted. “But yes, I do have a headache. Don’t be too worried about it. There’s only about a hundred good reasons for me to have one right now.” Not missing the way Kara’s eyes drifted to her throat, Alex smiled briefly. “Yeah, that’s one of them. Seriously, don’t worry.”

 

A short time later, they were both with Winn and Vasquez, waiting for J’onn to get done with a phone call and Maggie to make it in from the precinct. As Alex recapped the morning, something occurred.

 

“Winn, I need you to do something for me.”

 

“Of course. Hit me.”

 

“I think Max is a lot closer to figuring out how they did it than I expected he’d be, and closer than even he realizes.” Winn clapped his hands excitedly, falling silent and dropping them when Alex frowned at him.

 

“Sorry, I thought that was a good thing…?”

 

“Yes and no. We need to know, but I don’t like the idea of him having the knowledge to replicate the process.”

 

Winn nodded enthusiastically. “Got it! I can hack in right now and make it all go away. To our servers, of course.” Vasquez reached out and grabbed his wrist before Alex could move.

 

“We’ve gotta give him time to get closer.”

 

“Also, Max is paranoid and has top-notch security. It would take hours to hack in, even for you.”

 

Winn tapped his chin thoughtfully. “All right, so Plan A is out. I can work up something that you can take with you and physically insert into his computer when you’re ready. Something that can wipe it out and search out duplicates on any of his connected devices and move it all to you. We could either set it for keyword searches - maybe your name, Cadmus, Luthor, whatever else you think of - or just let it grab everything and we sort through it later. Someone like Lord, that option is going to take a lot more time than you may have.”

 

“And let me be there when you do it, Alex,” Kara requested. “You know he’s going to put up a fight if he realizes what you’re doing.”

 

“Sure thing. Winn, start with the keyword idea; include everything you said as well as prion. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”

 

“I’m all over it.”

 

“Alternatively, you could just let me steal his whole computer,” Kara suggested.

 

“The Girl of Steel, committing theft? I shouldn’t be party to this conversation,” Maggie joked as she joined the group. Alex sent her a soft smile, which Maggie returned as she reached out to squeeze Alex’s hand. “But to clarify, who are we stealing from?”

 

“We’re not stealing any physical property,” Vasquez assured her quickly, prompting a raised eyebrow from the detective.

 

“Specific, but not too specific. I like it.”

 

“I think it’s more like data mining than outright theft,” Winn offered.

 

“That… is actually less reassuring, somehow.”

 

Hanging up his phone, J’onn finally joined the group. “All of you, conference room. Let’s go figure this out.” He turned on his heel and moved down the hall, leaving the rest of them to follow him. At the door, J’onn paused and looked back. “You too, Agent Schott.”

 

“Yes! Moving, Papa Bear!” J’onn released a long-suffering sigh as he took a seat, Alex sliding in on his right and Vasquez at his left. Kara and Maggie sat across from them with Winn filling the final seat as he rushed in. Vasquez pulled up the satellite feed while the group got settled.

 

“This is what we’ve been looking at for the last hour,” she supplied. “No activity. No movement. No heat signatures. Just a sketchy, two story, snow-covered building. A glorified cabin, really.”

 

Kara had leaned in and was staring intently, as if hoping she could stare hard enough for her x-ray vision to work via satellite. “But we have no way of knowing what’s under it, right? We know with Cadmus, things always run deep.”

 

“Correct. Until you get out there tomorrow, what we see on this screen is about all we’re going to know.” J’onn looked, if possible, grumpier than usual, leaning back with his arms tightly crossed over his broad chest.

 

“I am running some other readings,” Winn noted, holding his tablet up. “Trying to see if we can get a lead any other way. Unusual radiation signatures, spikes or decreases in energy, things like that.”

 

“I could fly out tonight and do some advance recon,” Kara offered.

 

“No,” Alex and J’onn said in unison. Alex folded her arms, reflecting J’onn’s posture; picking up the challenge, Kara shifted in her seat and did the same, meeting her sister’s glare with one of her own.

 

Maggie and Vasquez exchanged looks, both of them uncertain about interrupting the awkward staredown that was developing. Eventually, Vasquez gave her a light kick under the table, and Maggie sighed. “So what is the actual plan, then? We stare at this feed all night and then take the portal up tomorrow?”

 

Vasquez shook her head. “Portal’s out. It scrambles electronic devices - cell phones, trackers, ear pieces, everything. Anyone who goes would be cut off from the base, and if separated once there, even cut off from each other.”

 

“The overnight feed monitoring part is right, at least. I’ve got first shift, and I think Cadle is in after me,” Winn added.

 

“How many are going on this one?” Alex asked, relaxing her arms and turning to face J’onn. He sighed, looking increasingly unhappy.

 

“With the limitations, I think our best bet is a flight. Kara can get there faster; can you carry two people with gear that distance?”

 

Kara gave a confident nod. “Definitely.” J’onn looked back to Alex, who in turned looked to Maggie. The detective just snorted slightly.

 

“As if there’s any doubt that I’m going with you.”

 

Alex smiled briefly before turning a confused glance to J’onn. “You’re not coming?”

 

“I am, just not all the way.”

 

“He’s basically your backup, though we hope you won’t need it,” Vasquez clarified. “But we’d rather have a backup plan in case they spring any surprises on us again.”

 

“I’ll be picking up another agent in Seattle for some extra firepower.”

 

“Alex, I’ll send you the link for the satellite feed, but only if you promise not to sit up and watch it all night,” Winn said, giving her his best glare. “At least then, if anything does happen there tonight, you’ll be able to see it quick.”

 

“Vasquez is handling logistics, and she and Agent Schott will monitor from here once we leave tomorrow. She’ll adjust our equipment in the morning based on any new information we get overnight. Everyone will be armed, but we’re proceeding as a fact-finding mission with possibility of hostiles, not as an all-out assault. If you get there tomorrow and find that this is more than we realized, you call it off,” J’onn said, giving Alex a hard look. “We’ll get a full team up there the next day if we have to.”

 

“Is it fair of me to wonder why we’re not just doing that now?” Maggie cut in.

 

“Sure. This is essentially a large reconnaissance mission. We don’t send full strike teams for recon.”

 

“Even when it’s Cadmus?”

 

“Even with Cadmus,” J’onn confirmed. “I understand your hesitation, and Vasquez and I had a similar discussion earlier. But if we go in guns blazing, we may very well make it worse, especially if this facility isn’t what we think it is.”

 

Maggie nodded reluctantly. “Fair, but this sucks.”

 

“No argument. Does anyone have anything else before we adjourn?”

 

“Not particular to this mission, but important overall. Maggie, you were looking into the other people Cadmus has taken. Did you get anywhere? And Vasquez, do we have any updates on our Desert Jane Doe?” A part of Alex didn’t want to know the answer to either question, but she knew the victims deserved justice and she still hoped it would be possible to provide that.

 

“No change in Jane Doe. She’s still comatose.”

 

“PD is still looking at open missing persons cases from the last few months, but I’m starting to think that’s a dead-end.”

 

“Why is that?” Kara asked, looking curious.

 

Maggie hesitated a moment before responding, seemingly gathering her thoughts. “I think Luthor would know better than to target people who would be noticed quickly, at least until she was ready for her ultimate target,” she said, with a meaningful glance at Alex. “I have one more contact I’m going to follow up with this evening, chasing down another theory I’m running.”

 

“Meaning… you think she was targeting the homeless,” Kara realized.

 

“I do,” Maggie confirmed, jaw clenched. “They’re marginalized, mistreated, they can disappear for days or weeks at a time before someone really thinks it’s weird, and even then, not many people give a shit. It’s sick, and it sounds like exactly the kind of thing Lillian Luthor would do.”

 

“Rao help me, if I didn’t already want to laser her face off…”

 

“We haven’t been able to get an ID on Desert Jane yet, but admittedly, that’s not our strong suit. Can you take what we have to PD and see if they have more luck?” Vasquez asked.

 

“Yes, and if you’ll print me a few copies of a photo, I’ll take it with me tonight. I’ll probably get info there a lot faster.”

 

“I’ll go do that now.” At a nod from J’onn, Vasquez and Winn both stood up and exited.

 

“Do you need any help tonight?” Kara offered.

 

“No, it’s one of those things where I have the connections, so it’s best if I just go myself. If I do need help, I’ll yell,” she promised with a grin.

 

“I’ll be listening. I’m gonna go fly off some steam and check back in at CatCo. Alex, see you tonight?”

 

“Of course. Come over whenever.” Kara scooted over for a quick hug before she and J’onn left the room. Alex looked at Maggie questioningly. “You coming over tonight?”

 

“I’d love to, but I’ll probably be out fairly late.”

 

“Come by when you’re done, if you want to. Just be safe out there, would ya?”

 

“Always am,” Maggie teased, shifting closer to Alex. Her gaze darted to the empty hallway outside and then back to Alex, before drifting down to her lips. “Is this all right?”

 

“Very much so.”

 

“Good, because I’ve spent about half my day thinking about kissing you again,” she whispered before closing the distance for a slow, leisurely kiss.

 

“Worth the wait,” Alex breathed out when they finally separated, earning a broad grin from Maggie.

 

“Oh yeah.” With a wink, Maggie turned and headed for the door. “See you later, Danvers.” Alex smiled until she was out of sight, and then finally rested her head on the table, one hand coming up to massage the back of her neck. The headache Kara had noticed earlier was still present, and while she had brushed off her sister’s concern, the persistence had caused her to recall something else Lillian had said yesterday.

 

_You believe me when I say your own brain will turn on you._

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She lives! (Much like most of the people in this chapter.) Sorry for the long absence. I bought a house recently and turns out it's very time consuming; who knew, right? I'll hit you up with another recap because it's been a hot minute. And my huuuge thanks to those still reading, and those who've reached out over the last couple months; I know the delays suck, but I appreciate your patience and, yes, your 'you alive?' messages. I still promise I'm seeing this through. I have a few other things I want to write, but I'm not even letting myself start on those until this is done.
> 
> Lyrics - Missy Higgins, Hidden Ones

_Previously on..._

_Back in chapter 5, the team raided a warehouse, an Ismenian stabbed Alex, Alex shot the Ismenian because she's a BAMF. But then a strange man appeared, told her this was a 'test run' and it wasn't so great, bashed her head against the wall, and disappeared. Concussed!Alex didn't remember any of that the next day. More recently, Alex and Maggie had a run in with Lillian Luthor, who set up a bunch of creepy rooms and called it an invitation, and Alex is like, '...wtf?' Henshaw put a hurtin' on Alex and Maggie both, but they're mostly ok. Alex got a bit hung up on Lillian's ominous warning: You believe me when I say your own brain will turn on you. Alex also has a bitch of a headache, but she's not sure which of the million valid reasons to have one is responsible for it. Kara and Maggie aren't so comforted. Desert Jane Doe, the one Supergirl rescued from a Cadmus facility, is still comatose. The DEO has found a Cadmus facility way up in Alaska that they think Alex was taken to in her 8 missing days. It's time to go find out._

\------------------

_She's holding a torch in her hand_  
 _Pointing towards heaven_  
 _And on the streets below her people living out of trash cans_  
 _Are trying to believe she's got a plan_   
\------------------

 

Alex awakened with a start, remaining still as she tried to process her surroundings. It didn’t take long for Maggie’s distinctive warmth to register at her left side. Relaxing slightly, Alex still craned her neck, attempting to spot a clock.

 

“It’s just after 1 AM,” came a soft voice to her right, and Alex turned to see her sister curled up next to her, watching her with concerned eyes. “You fell asleep right after dinner. Didn’t even wake up when Maggie got here a few hours ago.”

 

“I can’t believe I fell asleep that hard,” Alex whispered, glancing at Maggie. “I really did want to talk to her before we head up for this mission.”

 

“Morning?” Kara suggested, also keeping her voice low.

 

“Probably no time. And I don’t want to distract either of us from what we’re going into.”

 

“Tomorrow night, then, because we’re all coming back in one piece. How’s your head?”

 

Alex frowned, recalling the ever-worsening headache that had prompted her to crash so soon after dinner. “It’s ok right now.”

 

“But there’s something you’re not telling me.”

 

“When did you get to be so good at reading me?” Alex grumbled, earning a slight smirk.

 

“Been working on it for a few years. Is it something Lillian said?” At Alex’s disbelieving look, Kara shrugged. “You’ve been a bit hung up on some of the stuff she said the other day. It seemed like a logical guess.”

 

“I’m not hung up. I just don’t think she flat-out lied about any of it,” Alex protested, shifting closer to tuck her face against Kara’s shoulder. Her sister reached up to run her fingers through short red hair, the motion beginning to lull Alex back to sleep.

 

“Well, she succeeded in her main goal, and that was getting into your head. We’ve gotta get her out of there.”

 

“Getting Cadmus out of my head is kinda the whole point of what we’ve been working on. Not sure how you missed that,” Alex mumbled teasingly, drawing a quiet huff from Kara.

 

“Yeah, I got that. And I’ve got you too, so get back to sleep.”

 

A loud groan drifted up from the other side of the bed. “Yes, please, back to sleep. I’m gonna start sleeping on the couch again if late night sister talks keep waking me up.” The threat was dampened by the way Maggie scooted closer, dropping an arm on Alex’s hip and nuzzling into her neck.

 

“You can both sleep on the couch again,” Kara retorted. “This enormous bed, and I’m practically falling off the edge because of this… this… cuddle puddle you two have formed on top of me.” Eyes still closed, Alex just smiled, reaching one hand out to tangle in Kara’s shirt while the other linked with Maggie’s fingers.

 

When she woke again, it was to early morning sun in her face, the blaring of an alarm clock, and her two favorite people notably absent from her side. The scent of coffee drifted from the kitchen, prompting Alex to sit up and stretch. She followed the smell, absently noting the shower running in the bathroom as she passed, but stopped short as she entered the kitchen, somewhat surprised to find Kara already suited up.

 

“Um…” Alex squinted at a clock, then at her sister. “I didn’t oversleep, did I?”

 

“Nope!” Kara bounced on her toes, more energetic than Alex could handle that early in the morning. “I’m just ready to get this underway. We’re gonna get somewhere on this today, Alex, I can feel it.”

 

“Ok, but I’m gonna get some coffee first. Let me feel that and we’ll go from there.”

 

Kara snorted, leaning against the counter and eyeing her in amusement. “By all means.”

 

Alex was finishing her first cup when Maggie walked into the kitchen, toweling her hair. Kara frowned as she took in the jeans and t-shirt the detective wore. “Shouldn’t you wear layers or something?”

 

“We’ll get cold weather tac gear at the DEO. Better for the flight, too,” Alex supplied.

 

“Yeah, speaking of, I was wondering why we’re taking the Supergirl Express instead of a jet or something,” Maggie wondered, grimacing at the wounded look Kara shot her. “No offense, it just doesn’t seem super practical.”

 

“Because I can get there in less than half the time. Also, the DEO has a helicopter but no jet, which means we’d have to requisition one to borrow, and that would take days at least, and if we try to tell her we’re waiting a few more days, Alex will just hitchhike to Alaska.”

 

“Nah, I’d just ask Kara for a lift and she’d go with it,” Alex clarified. “Just cutting out the middle steps.”

 

“I don’t even like flying across the city with you,” Maggie groaned.

 

“Pretty sure you’re the one who insisted on going.”

 

“Ok, let’s all just finish getting ready,” Alex cut in, trying to ward off an argument. “I’ll get dressed, then Maggie and I will drive to the DEO. Kara, we’ll meet you there.”

 

“Fine. I’m getting donuts.” With a quick hug for Alex, Kara was out the window. Maggie shrugged when Alex turned to her.

 

“I don’t like it, but I’m still in. Which, honestly, sums up most of our recent undertakings involving Cadmus, so I think it’s fair.” Alex rolled her eyes, refilling her coffee before going to change. She came back out a few minutes later to find Maggie cleaning out the coffee pot, and smiled appreciatively.

 

“Sorry I missed you last night.”

 

“It’s ok. Kara told me about your headache. Is it better?”

 

“I’m all right. It was off and on most of yesterday and I guess it just wore me out. I really did want to see you and talk to you.”

 

“Good thing we have plenty of time then, right?” Maggie asked with a wink, and Alex smiled, recalling Kara’s words the night before.

 

“Right.” Alex reached out and took Maggie’s hand. “You ready for this?”

 

“I mean, I still think we have time to maybe steal a jet and go that way instead… but yes.”

 

Alex laughed as they left the apartment. “We probably do have time, but J’onn has specifically barred me from unauthorized expropriation of government vehicles for the purpose of unapproved air traffic, so I’d definitely be in trouble if we did.”

 

“There’s gotta be a story there.”

 

“I think of it as more of a large-scale misunderstanding.”  


Maggie smirked before she pulled her helmet on and climbed onto the motorcycle. “I’d steal a jet for you, Danvers.”

 

“That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever told me. But also, don’t let J’onn hear that.” Maggie only laughed in response as they took off for the DEO. When they arrived, Alex once again reached for Maggie’s hand, this time keeping them both planted in the parking structure.

 

“Alex?”

 

“Yeah, look, I know we haven’t gotten to talk much about… this,” she lifted their connected hands slightly, and Maggie offered a cautious nod. “And we aren’t going to do that right now, but, um, I just need to say, to make sure you know, that I am invested, and the fact that we even get to talk about making it work, that you would even give me another chance, it means everything to me. I know there’s a lot more to say and do, but I just really wanted you to know that.”

 

“You’re right that we have a lot of work to do, but what we had - what we can hopefully have again - it’s worth fighting for.” Before Alex could respond, one of the loudspeakers overhead crackled to life.

 

“Agent Danvers to Control. Repeat, Agent Danvers to Control.” Alex turned and fixed a glare on the nearest security camera, prompting Vasquez to follow up with, “Detective Sawyer, too.”

 

“Someone’s impatient,” Maggie noted.

 

“Someone’s getting switched to decaf,” Alex grumbled, leading the way into the building itself. “Though, to be fair, I didn’t actually envision having that conversation in the parking lot.”

 

“Yeah, I was picturing more of a candlelit dinner setting for it, myself.”

 

“Duly noted,” Alex grinned as they walked into the control room, where Vasquez was staring at them unabashedly.

 

“Sorry,” Vasquez offered, sounding decidedly un-sorry. “We just didn’t have time for you to monologue.”

 

“What?” Alex spluttered, indignant. “I… I don’t monologue!” Vasquez didn’t respond, just offering a sarcastic thumbs up before turning back to J’onn. Alex huffed in annoyance, prompting Maggie to pat her shoulder soothingly. The detective didn’t bother trying to hide her smile as they joined Kara, who held out a box of donuts. Behind her, Winn scurried from one computer to another, adjusting things as directed by J’onn. Alex put her hands on her hips, fixing a glare as Vasquez approached.

 

“Come on, you know that doesn’t work on me. Often.” The clarification drew a smile as Vasquez handed over earpieces. “These should do a better job of blocking out wind noise for communication during flight. And the suits are insulated and intended to keep you warm, but they haven’t yet been tested at this altitude for this length of time, so feedback is certainly welcome.”

 

“I helped design those!” Winn called out, sounding proud. “They’ve got a lot of the same features as Alex’s normal suit, and of course the insulation of the standard cold weather gear.”

 

“They look great, Winn,” Maggie commented as she studied the one Vasquez gave her.

 

“Change and grab weapons, and I think we’re ready when you are,” Vasquez said, offering a brief nod before turning back to the monitors. Less than 10 minutes later, Alex and Maggie had changed into the new suits, stopped by the armory for weapons and helmets, and were back in the control room watching Kara as she finished the last donut.

 

“Where’s J’onn?” Alex asked, noting his absence.

 

“He went ahead,” Vasquez replied, not moving her gaze from the monitor she was studying.

 

“He’s stopping by the desert base because our Desert Jane is awake!” Winn added enthusiastically.

 

Vasquez groaned, dropping her head. “Damn it, Schott.”

 

“What? When he said keep it quiet, surely he didn’t mean… oh. Oh, he did mean. Um, I’m just gonna slide over here, nice safe distance, and type… things.”

 

Alex crossed her arms, glaring between the other two agents. “Vas.”

 

“You were gonna keep that from her?” Kara demanded. “From us?”

 

Vasquez sighed, finally turning to face them. “No, of course not. Not long term. We just found out right before you got here, Kara, and they’ve still got tests to do over there. We didn’t want it to be a distraction, so we were going to tell you when you got back later.” Her jaw clenched on the last word as she shifted to glower at Winn, who only typed faster in response.

 

“That’s huge, Vasquez. I should’ve been told immediately.”

 

Vasquez held her hands up in surrender. “Take it up with the Director. It was his call.”

 

“Oh, I will. Are we good to go?”

 

“Yes, please do,” Vasquez said with a wink.

 

“Only if you promise not to hit Winn while we’re gone.”

 

“Thank you!”

 

Vasquez snorted. “I’ll do my best.”

 

Alex, Kara, and Maggie stepped to the balcony, and after a quick check to verify everything was secure, Kara wrapped her arms around the other two and launched into flight. True to her word, she had them on the ground in Alaska over 3 hours sooner than a jet would have, which Maggie acknowledged with a grumble.

 

“Not so bad, right?” Alex prompted.

 

“Sure,” Maggie agreed, “but if we happen to find a jet here, we can take it back, right?”

 

“I’d still beat you. And Alex would fly back with me.”

 

Grimacing, Alex held up her hands. “Ok, we’re not doing this right now. Kara, do you see anything?”

 

“Would it surprise you to learn that our shabby two story building here has a bit of lead built in? I can’t see much, but everything I can see is empty.”

 

“Acknowledged,” Vasquez came on the comms, tension in her voice. “And all of your cameras are functioning.”

 

“Going in.” Alex glanced back to make sure her partners were ready; when they both gave a nod, she led the way to the door. “Locked.” She stepped aside, letting Maggie pick the lock and nudge the door open. Alex and Maggie made quick work of clearing the room while Kara studied what was in it, following prompts from Vasquez and Winn to give them shots of certain things. One wall was a bank of six large screens, all dark now, and she wondered aloud what they’d been monitoring.

 

“Hopefully we’ll find that answer in here,” Alex replied quietly, indicating another door. This one was unlocked, and she opened it to find a small, empty room. “So much for that.”

 

“Stairs over here,” Maggie offered, breath visible in the cold air of the room.

 

“Kara, Vas, see anything else we should look at on this floor before we go up?”

 

“The size is consistent with what we’d expect based on our aerial surveillance,” Vasquez responded.

 

“And there doesn’t seem to be anything below - no basement, tunnels, hidden torture chambers. It’s more straightforward than I expected,” Kara agreed.

 

Maggie frowned, eyes sweeping the room again. “Nothing to hide if they never expected us to find it.”

 

Waiting impatiently at the stairs, Alex jerked her head towards the second floor. “Let’s see what’s up top.” Weapons at the ready, she and Maggie went up first, Kara bringing up the rear and walking rather than flying.

 

“This is more like I imagined,” Kara breathed.

 

“Looks a bit familiar,” Alex noted lightly, earning a glare from Maggie. The far side of the room held what could only be called a cage, but one that contained an exam chair, various pieces of state of the art medical equipment - and an all too familiar clipboard pinned to the wall.

 

Kara stepped through the open cell door, one hand shakily reaching out to touch the clipboard. “Just like at that lab.”

 

“That was fake. I get the feeling this is real,” Maggie said, eyes fixed on the chair.

 

“Let me see that clipboard.” When Kara handed it over, Alex began flipping through the pages, trained eyes studying them quickly. “I’m not sure how useful this will be, but we’ll take it anyway.” Maggie reached out to take it and slip it into her bag, and Alex nodded appreciatively. “Vasquez, anything else in here stand out to you?”

 

“No,” came the quick response, “but can I request the entire building be set on fire when you leave? I don’t like it.” Alex snorted as she stepped away from the cage.

 

“Seconded.” Kara slipped through the door with a shudder, worried gaze shifting to her sister. Alex pretended not to notice, forcing herself to focus on the rest of the floor. While downstairs was a mostly open floorplan, upstairs had four doors, all of which were closed. The first was unlocked, and Alex opened it to find a basic office setup. Maggie immediately moved to the laptop sitting on the desk, dropping it into her bag.

 

“Something tells me it’s not going to do us much good…”

 

“Probably, but still worth a look.”

 

Kara had moved on to the next door, also unlocked, and found two bunks and a dresser. The beds were unmade and the drawers were in disarray, one even tipped over on the floor.

 

“Someone tried to get out of here in a hurry,” Kara suggested, and Alex just nodded, feeling her stomach clench and the ache in her head increasing. Maggie opened the next door to a small bathroom, also dishevelled; there was a toothbrush and towel on the floor, shower products had leaked and congealed in the tub, deodorant in the sink and a tube of toothpaste in the toilet.

 

“I’m not the only one feeling anxious here, right?” Winn’s unexpected voice caused all three to jump, and they could hear the apology as he followed up with, “Ok, yeah, guess not.” Shaking her head, Alex left the bathroom and moved to the fourth door, which was also unlocked. It opened to a small kitchen. Here, too, were ominous signs; the refrigerator door open with food spilling out, kitchen table overturned, trash can dented, broken plates scattered.

 

“Beginning to think Vasquez is right about burning the place. This is disgusting,” Maggie grumbled, and Kara wrinkled her nose in agreement.

 

“Still seconded. There were a couple desktop computers down there with those big screens; I think that may be our best bet at getting anything else here.”

 

“Wait.” While the others stayed at the door, Alex had moved a few steps into the room, and she had the feeling she needed to look further. The suspicion was confirmed as she moved around the table and came to a stop. “Shit.” Kara was at her side in an instant, Maggie just steps behind her, and Winn’s voice came on the comms.

 

“Ooh, yeah, he’s way dead.”

 

“We’re running facial recognition. I’ll let you know,” Vasquez added, keeping her tone level.

 

Maggie moved around and got closer, studying the body. Dark hair, dark suit under a lab coat, bruising on his face and throat. “It’s cold enough in here that normal decomposition would probably be slowed, so it could’ve been yesterday or it could’ve been weeks ago,” she concluded.

 

“It hasn’t been weeks,” Alex said, almost to herself, but loud enough to draw the attention of Kara and Maggie. “I recognize him.” Kara moved closer, studying the man intently before glancing up at her sister.

 

“Alex?”

 

“The warehouse raid. The one where the Ismenian stabbed me, he was there.” Kara and Maggie exchanged concerned looks.

 

“You sure, Danvers?”

 

“Yes. Remember in medbay the next day, none of us could figure out why my helmet was off when you got there?” At Maggie’s nod, Alex continued slowly, still piecing it together herself. “It was him. Ismenian stabbed me, I shot it… and then this guy appeared.” Alex closed her eyes, searching through memories that were only just coming back to her.

 

_For what it’s worth, I do hope you survive this. It would be a waste if not._

 

“He said that?” Kara demanded, and Alex’s eyes blinked open; she hadn’t realized she’d said that out loud. Her sister was staring down at the man, expression now as cold as the room itself.

 

“Also said something about a test run. I don’t know what, exactly, that one meant.” Alex rubbed her forehead, and Maggie reached out to squeeze her elbow.

 

“Ok, so that was just over a week ago, which at least narrows down our timeline for his death.”

 

“Do we need to do anything else in here, or can we go back downstairs, look at those computers, and maybe get out of here?” With one last look at the dead man, Alex turned resolutely towards her sister.

 

“We can get moving. Lead the way.” No one hesitated to leave the kitchen, and Alex noted that this time, they kept her in the middle of the trio.

 

Once back downstairs, Kara and Maggie started poking at the two computers, both larger, older looking desktops, neither of which were turning on. Alex left them to that while she looked at the wall of screens, thoughts jumping back to Kara’s earlier question of what they were used to monitor. She’d noted two cameras upstairs, both facing the cage, but hadn’t seen any elsewhere. The logical answer was outside. The screens started crackling, static flickering across the two in the middle, and she turned back to Kara and Maggie.

 

“Progress?”

 

“Uh, no. We literally haven’t even gotten one to boot up yet, so I have no idea…” Maggie trailed off, eyes hard as she stared up at the screens, and Alex took a breath before she turned around again.

 

“Alex. I must say, I’m impressed. And perhaps a bit annoyed; I didn’t expect you to find this place. I suppose this means you know about the portal.” Despite her words, Lillian just looked bored as she stared down at them, and Alex folded her arms, weighing how to respond.

 

“Yeah, we figured out the portal. You tried to throw me off track, but here we are.”

 

“Here you are, indeed. You know, I really hate when Henshaw is right about something. He becomes insufferably smug. But I’m beginning to wonder if he was right when he said I was wasting my time with you.” Alex could hear the uneasy shifting of Kara and Maggie behind her, but she kept her eyes on Lillian. “You’re an experiment, Alex, one that’s been very enlightening so far, but one on which the returns are diminishing, so to speak. And do you know what one does with a failed experiment? You destroy it.”

 

“Sorry, where did you get your science degree, again? Because that’s really… not right.” To Alex’s surprise, Lillian smiled. It was cold and menacing, and brought to mind nothing so much as a shark, but it wasn’t the reaction she’d expected.

 

“You’re as quick-witted as your father. You and I could do great things together too, if you’d just understand what I see.”

 

“I don’t think it’s a lack of understanding,” Kara offered sharply.

 

“I already told her I wouldn’t actively attempt to kill you again, Supergirl. I’m frankly surprised that in itself wasn’t enough.”

 

“Who’s the dead guy upstairs?” Alex asked.

 

“You’re supposed to be a big picture type, Alex. He’s clearly not part of that. All that matters is that he failed, and I do not appreciate failure.”

 

“Funny, cause you’ve been failing to get me on your side for a while now,” Alex pointed out, earning a glare from Lillian.

 

“You’ve already ruined some of the plans I had for you; I’ve half a mind to just have you killed. I suppose I’m just an optimist. I still believe there’s a chance to salvage this, but my patience wears thin. We won’t keep having these conversations.”

 

“Is that a promise?”

 

“Maybe your friends are right,” Lillian continued as if she hadn’t heard the question, though the tightening around her eyes told Alex she had. “Maybe burning it to the ground really is the best plan.” With one last smile, the screen crackled back to static, and Alex turned to see Kara and Maggie both already refocused on the computers they were at.

 

“I think it’s time we get out of here.”

 

“We haven’t gotten anywhere with these computers,” Kara protested.

 

“And if we haven’t by now, I doubt we’re going to. Either way, if this place does actually start burning, I’d rather we not still be in it.” Kara sighed, nodding at her sister’s words, but before any of them could move the screens were lighting up again. Alex looked up to find all six of them on this time, each showing something different and uniquely upsetting.

 

The bottom right was clearly a live feed; she watched as Kara and Maggie started looking around, searching for the camera that none of them had spotted. Above that was a shot from earlier, the trio approaching through the snow outside. The screens on the left showed what she already suspected about the death of the man upstairs; in one, he was frantically tearing through the bunk room, packing and seemingly looking for something, and in the other, he was trying to defend himself from Henshaw in the kitchen. His attempt ended when Henshaw wrapped one hand around his throat, squeezing until the man stopped moving, and Alex felt her own throat tighten in reminder of his desire to do the same thing to her.

 

Lillian had clearly chosen the middle screens as the centerpiece, and Alex watched mutely as the dead man restrained her to the chair, as she tried to fight back only to be injected with something that left her limp in the cage. Below that was Lillian speaking to an unrestrained Alex, who sat quietly and listened intently.

 

“We need to go. Now.” Determined, Alex pulled her gaze from the screens and towards her companions, who were still watching. Maggie was the first to blink, eyebrows furrowing as she looked at Alex.

 

“But-”

 

“No,” Alex cut in. “This is a distraction. We aren’t going to get anything useful out of it, but I’m willing to bet Henshaw’s already on his way.”

 

“Shouldn’t we wait for him them?” Kara’s voice had taken on an edge, and Alex shook her head.

 

“It’s what she wants, which means it’s the last thing we should do. We need to leave.”

 

J’onn’s voice came over the comms for the first time. “Agent Danvers is right. Luthor may not have expected us to find this, but she clearly had a plan in case someone did. Whatever it may be, we don’t need to play into it.” With one last look at the monitors, Kara finally nodded. They hurried outside, Alex and Maggie pulling their headgear back on and securing the bag of items they’d taken from the facility. As Kara prepared to take off, Alex briefly clicked off her comms and tapped her sister’s shoulder.

 

“Stop at the desert base. I’m talking to our Jane Doe.” Kara just nodded in response, and Alex reactivated her comms and settled in for the flight. Vasquez kept them updated as they traveled; a team had arrived at the facility not long after their departure. They’d removed a few items from inside, Vasquez couldn’t identify what, and then they had actually set it on fire. Henshaw hadn’t been sighted. It wasn’t until they landed at the desert base that Vasquez spoke again.

 

“Uh, ma’am?”

 

“Yeah, quick detour. We’ll be back in a bit.”

 

Vasquez sighed, but didn’t argue. “At least ditch the cold weather gear so you don’t melt. That would really ruin all the work we’ve been doing.”

 

“Ah, Vas, I didn’t know you cared so much.” Alex was welcomed by the agent in charge of the desert, who willingly gave them gym clothes to change into before directing Alex to Jane Doe’s holding cell adjacent to the medbay.

 

“Director told me you’d probably stop by soon,” Agent Davis said, prompting a snort from Alex.

 

“How thoughtful.” Agent Davis smiled uncertainly as they stopped at Jane Doe’s door.

 

“Per Director’s order, she’s in a secure med cell because of Cadmus and all the unanswered questions. She woke up this morning, and all of our tests have come back normal, but she’s not exactly communicating. She’ll answer direct questions, but only the actual question; she doesn’t volunteer anything beyond it, she doesn’t expand on answers, she doesn’t initiate any conversation or ask any questions herself. She hasn’t even asked where she is or how she got here.”

 

“What do we know about her?”

 

“Not much,” Davis sighed. “She says her name is irrelevant, she has no home, and age is a meaningless number - though she did tell us her birthdate when asked, so we know she’s 27. Says we can call her 14, but we have no idea why, and we’ve mostly been sticking with Jane Doe. She claims she doesn’t know anything about what Cadmus was doing to her. We do at least know that she really likes chicken tetrazzini and peanut M&M’s.” At Alex’s raised eyebrow, Davis shrugged. “Like I said, she answers direct questions. She enjoyed lunch.”

 

“Helpful. So we know there are things she’s either been ordered not to tell, or she just feels like she’s protecting herself by not doing so. Maybe both. I’m going to talk to her. I’ll keep my comms on, you two stay with Davis.”

 

“The room has surveillance for questioning and security purposes. We turn it off for privacy when needed, but we can get it back on and you can both watch in here,” Davis offered, indicating a door down the hall. Clearly hesitant, Kara nevertheless shrugged and started moving towards the other room.

 

“All right, but if you need us…”

 

Alex smiled encouragingly. “You’re about a half-second away. I know. I’m counting on it.” She watched Kara and Maggie follow Davis, and then squared her shoulders before walking into Jane Doe’s room. The woman was curled up on her bed, but sat up quickly when Alex entered. She frowned, studying her as Alex took a seat.

 

“Hi,” Alex began, keeping her tone light and her body language open. Before she could continue, Jane Doe smiled broadly and shifted on her bed.

 

“You’re 13.”

 

“I- what?” Alex faltered, staring at the woman.

 

“You’re 13,” she repeated insistently.

 

Alex leaned back in her chair, trying to make sense of it. “13. What does that make you?”

 

“14, naturally.” Desert Jane smiled again, and Alex realized what she was saying.

 

“Luthor’s test subjects. I was 13th, you were 14th. Are there more after you?”

 

“I’d certainly hope so. We can remake this world as it should be, with enough help.”

 

“She has the Cadmus talking points down, anyway,” Maggie muttered on the comms.

 

“Do you know what they wanted you for?” Alex asked.

 

“We all have our place, we all have a role to fulfill. Some of us are just… more reluctant to embrace it.” As she spoke, Jane’s smiled shifted into a sneer, and she stared at Alex pointedly.

 

Undeterred, Alex leaned forward and met her stare. “And what’s your purpose?” Jane was silent for a long moment, as if debating whether or not to answer. “I’d like to help you, but it’s hard to do when I’m not sure what we’re dealing with.”

 

“You don’t want to help me. You want to stop me. And Supergirl, I assume she’s listening? She definitely wants to stop me.”

 

“Alex…” Kara’s worried voice was in her ear, but Alex just smiled slightly, trying to keep Jane Doe talking.

 

“Why would we want to stop you?”

 

“Because.” Jane Doe paused again, chewing on her lip thoughtfully. “You seem decent, but rules are rules. Ms. Luthor has done good things for me, 13. She saw greatness where others saw nothing.”

 

When Desert Jane fell silent, Alex tilted her head. “She’s using you. She’d kill you without a second thought if she felt like you were a hindrance. A failure, even.”

 

Jane hummed, smiling again. “That all depends on you.”

 

“How so?”

 

“My role is to eliminate you, if I ever see you outside of a lab, because it means you’ve failed.” There was a sharp intake of breath from the other side of the comms, but Alex didn’t flinch.

 

“In that case, why aren’t you trying to kill me now?” she wondered.

 

“Yeah, hey, could we maybe not encourage the possibly-crazy Cadmus lackey to try to murder you?” Maggie urged

 

Jane’s eyes wandered to the large window, through which the main medbay was visible. “This counts as a lab, doesn’t it?”

 

“So just any lab will do? It doesn’t have to be one of Lillian’s? That doesn’t seem logical.” She heard Maggie groan, and Kara cursed in Kryptonese.

 

“Alex, seriously.”

 

For her part, Jane looked uncertain. “They never specified,” she admitted. “I’m… I’m not sure. About that part.”

 

“Speaking from experience, when it comes to killing someone, you really want to be sure. About all of it. Tends to haunt you otherwise.” Jane frowned, suddenly looking much younger as she opted to study her fingers, and Alex tried to press her advantage. “What does Lillian Luthor have to offer you? You seem like you’re a true believer, but you haven’t even been part of it that long.”

 

“Truth and justice have nothing to do with length of time, 13. You should know that,” Jane said, pausing and interlacing her fingers as she thought. “I lost everything… the Daxamite invasion. She’s the only one who’s seen it for the tragedy it is, who has a plan to make sure it never happens again.”

 

“You can’t fix tragedy with more cruelty.”

 

Jane pulled her hands apart, clenching them into fists as she looked up and met Alex’s gaze, once again seeming to be in control of herself. “She said you were too far gone to see the reality. She can help you, if you let her. You can help us bring peace. I hope you’ll take the opportunity she’s giving you, Alex.” It was the first time the other woman had used her name, and Alex blinked in surprise, drawing a small smile. “Yes, you’ve spent all this time trying to figure me out, and I already know exactly who you are, 13. I hope you listen to Ms. Luthor, because if her conditions are met, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

 

Alex smirked as she slowly rose from her chair. “If you do actually know anything about me, you’ll know that’s a lot easier said than done.” There was only silence in response as she left the room. Kara, Maggie, and Agent Davis joined her in the hall moments later.

 

“You should really stop goading people into attempted murder,” Maggie pointed out even as she wrapped Alex in a hug.

 

“Good parting line, though,” Kara added, pushing her way in for a hug of her own.

 

“I knew I had more than enough backup, but I was pretty sure she wasn’t going to make a move anyway. It was enough to put some questions in her head, though.”

 

Davis moved ahead of them, leading them back to the command room. “Speaking of her head, I think it might be a bit scrambled.”

 

“I’m not sure how much of that is Cadmus, and how much of that was already there,” Alex observed. “I think it’s a bit of both, which is going to make it a bit harder to combat.”

 

“Should we move her to a proper cell?” Davis wondered, and Alex shook her head.

 

“I think it’s better if we keep treating her as a patient, albeit a potentially dangerous one. Unless her behavior changes, stay the course. We may still be able to help her.”

 

“Agreed, and a wise decision.” Alex wasn’t surprised to find J’onn waiting for them in the command room, and her heart warmed at the pride in his expression when he looked at her. “So, we’ve gotten a little bit from Desert Jane Doe, and a little bit from the Alaskan excursion, but not quite enough from either to give us a clear direction on what to do next.”

 

“No positive ID on our dead mad scientist, either,” Vasquez offered via comms.

 

Maggie sighed, letting herself sink into a nearby chair. “So we can’t track him, and we can’t track Jane.”

 

“We know she likes peanut M&Ms and the possibility of murdering Alex, and I’m not a big fan of either,” Kara groused.

 

“Only two things both of our mystery people have in common,” J’onn noted, looking at Alex.

 

“Me and Lillian Luthor,” Alex shrugged. “We’ve got her on her heels, at least for the moment. She’s still ahead, but we’ve upset her - and she did specifically say I ruined one of her plans already. I’m pretty proud of that, by the way,” she added with a grin.

 

“You should be. I’d put that on my resume,” Vasquez offered.

 

Kara perked up. “Does that go under skills or experience?”

 

“I think it fits either,” Maggie suggested, tapping her lips thoughtfully. “Maybe word it differently and slip it into both sections.”

 

J’onn pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. “I’m not actually concerned with her resume. She’s already hired, if you all hadn’t noticed. Can we focus on what really matters here?”

 

“It is solid advice, though. Keeping your resume up to date,” Davis whispered to Alex, prompting J’onn to glare at her. “Right, sorry.”

 

Sighing again, J’onn folded his arms and looked at Alex. “We’re at a standstill with the only leads we picked up today, but we have Luthor off her game for once. Thoughts on our next move?”

 

“Yeah, I think I know what needs to happen next. But, uh…” she trailed off, glancing around the table, making eye contact with Kara and Maggie before focusing back on J’onn. “I know what I need to do, but none of you are going to like it.”


End file.
